Michael James Tindall was born in Otley on 18 October 1978 and educated at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School in Wakefield. He played at centre for Bath for eight seasons before joining Gloucester where he became club captain. He gained his first cap for England in 2000 and by the completion of the 2011 Rugby World Cup, where he was the team captain, he had scored 14 tries in 75 internationals. He was also a member of the England squad in the 2003 Rugby World Cup but missed the 2007 tournament because of injury. In 2010 Mike Tindall played for England against the Barbarians and scored a try in his side's victory. Two years later he redressed the balance by scoring against England on his Barbarians' debut.