Kay
Ben Kay is a retired former English rugby union lock who is one of the game’s most decorated and revered players. Find out more about his career here.
Ben Kay Bio
Ben Kay is one of England rugby’s most decorated and respected players. Now retired, he was famed for his skill, towering stature and work rate as a second-row forward for both club and country – in particular his impressive abilities in line-outs.
Born in Liverpool, England in December 1975, Ben Kay first played rugby during his school years as well as when studying at university. His nickname as a youth was “M’lud” in reference to his father, Sir John William Kay’s, knighthood.
As well as playing for Loughborough Students RUFC, he also played for Waterloo at amateur level before signing professionally in 1999 with Leicester Tigers. Ben Kay would remain with the Tigers until his retirement in 2010 and during his time with the club enjoyed a wealth of successes and achievements.
A few notable examples include four Heineken Champions Cup wins - with back-to-back wins in 2001 and 2002 - an incredible six Premiership titles and a ‘Player of the Year’ award in the 2001-02 season.
After nearly 300 appearances, Ben Kay played his final game for Leicester Tigers at the end of the 2009-10 season. However, he returned to the club in 2014 where he served as a non-executive director on its board of directors until 2021.
Ben Kay’s international career was similarly impressive. He made his debut in 2001 in a test match against Canada but his big break for England came in 2003 when he was selected for the squad for the Rugby World Cup of that year. Kay would go on to play every minute of every game bar one, and was a key part in England’s eventual win in the tournament.
Four years later he was also called up for the 2007 Rugby World Cup and was one of only three other players to represent England for every minute of every game before the side’s loss in the final. In total Ben Kay earned 62 caps for England and scored 10 points, his final game was against Argentina in 2009. He also played twice for the British & Irish Lions in the 2005 tour to New Zealand.
Ben Kay is now a regular pundit and commentator for British television and is a consultant for a number of other blue chip companies around the world.
