| James Grindal | |
| Birth Name: | James Grindal |
| Birth Date: | 18 August 1980 |
| Birth Place: | Nuneaton, England |
| Height: | 1.75m (05.74feet) |
| Weight: | 85kg (187lb) [1] |
| School: | King Henry VIII School, Coventry |
| University: | Loughborough University |
| Ru Currentteam: | Bristol Rugby |
| Ru Position: | Scrum-half |
| Youthyears1: | |
| Youthclubs1: | Nuneaton |
| Ru Clubyears: | 1999–2002 2002–2009 2009–2012 2012–2014 |
| Ru Proclubs: | Leicester Tigers Newcastle Falcons Leicester Tigers Bristol Rugby |
| Super14years: | |
| Ru Nationalyears: | |
| Ru Nationalteam: | England under 18 England under 21 England Saxons |
| Repsevensyears1: | |
James Grindal (born 1980 in Nuneaton) is an English former rugby union rugby player who played scrum-half for Bristol Rugby. He made over 275 first class appearances, and was capped by England at Under-18, Under-21 and England Saxons level, as well as representing the Barbarians.
A former pupil of King Henry VIII School in Coventry, scrum-half Grindal made his first-team debut for Leicester Tigers as a 19-year-old and, between 1999 and 2002 made 27 appearances, and was involved in the first-team squad during three Premiership title wins and the back to back Heineken Cup wins in 2000 and 2001, in a golden era for the club.
Grindal made a move to Newcastle Falcons, under Director of Rugby Rob Andrew, in the summer of 2002. He made 156 first-team appearances for Newcastle between 2002 and 2009, and won the Powergen Cup after victory over Sale Sharks at Twickenham in 2004.[2] Grindal was partnered at half back with World Cup winner Jonny Wilkinson, during his time there.
He was called into the England Saxons side that defeated Ireland A on 1 February 2008.[3] [4]
On 25 June 2009 it was confirmed that he would return to his former club, Leicester Tigers, from the Newcastle Falcons to replace the departing Julien Dupuy. In his second spell as a Leicester Tigers player, Grindal was in the matchday squad for 2 Twickenham Premiership Finals in 2010 and 2011, picking up an Aviva Premiership winner's medal as a replacement in 2010.[5] He made a further 59 appearances for the first team in these 3 seasons.
He joined Bristol for the 2012–13 season, and was Club Captain for the 2013–14 season, making 43 appearances in his 2 seasons there. Grindal retired from professional rugby at the end of the 2013–14 season.