View source for Ben Kay

{{short description|English and British & Irish Lions rugby union footballer}}
{{distinguish|Ben Key}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2024}}
{{Infobox rugby biography
| name                    = Ben Kay <br/> [[Order of the British Empire|MBE]]
| image                   = Ben Kay2.jpg
| caption                 =
| birth_name              = Benedict James Kay
| birth_date              = {{birth date and age|1975|12|14|df=yes}}
| birth_place             = [[Liverpool]], England
| death_date              = 
| death_place             = 
| height                  = 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
| weight                  = {{convert|120|kg|lb stlb|0|abbr=on}}
| position                = [[Lock (rugby union)|Second Row]]
| amatyears1              = 
| amatteam1               = [[Loughborough Students Rugby Union Football Club|Loughborough Students RUFC]]
| ru_amupdate             = 
| repteam1                = [[England national rugby union team|England]] 
| repteam2                = [[British & Irish Lions]]
| repyears1               = 2001–2009
| repyears2               = [[2005 British & Irish Lions tour to New Zealand|2005]]
| repcaps1                = 62
| repcaps2                = 2
| reppoints1              = 10
| reppoints2              = 0
| ru_ntupdate             = 14 June 2009
| years1                  = 1999–2010
| clubs1                  = [[Leicester Tigers]]
| apps1                   = 281
| points1                 = 55
| ru_clubupdate           = 9 June 2010
| ru_currentclub          = 
| province1               = 
| provinceyears1          = 
| provinceapps1           = 
| provincepoints1         = 
| ru_provinceupdate       = 
| repsevensyears1         = 
| ru_sevensnationalcaps   = 
| ru_sevensnationalpoints = 
| ru_sevensupdate         = 
| coachteams1             = 
| coachyears1             = 
| ru_coachupdate          = 
| relatives               = [[John Kay (judge)|Sir John Kay]] (father)<br>Dame [[Amanda Yip]] (sister)
| school                  = [[Merchant Taylors' Boys' School, Crosby]]
| university              = [[Loughborough University]] 
}}

'''Benedict James Kay''' [[Order of the British Empire|MBE]] (born 14 December 1975) is an English retired international rugby union footballer who played [[Lock (rugby union)|second row forward]] for [[Leicester Tigers]], {{nrut|England}} and the [[British & Irish Lions]].

==Background==
Kay was born in [[Liverpool]], the only son of Lord Justice of Appeal Sir [[John William Kay]] (1943–2004),<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1466350/Sir-John-Kay.html|title=Sir John Kay obituary|date=6 July 2004|publisher=The Telegraph|access-date=16 March 2009 | location=London}}</ref> His sister, Dame [[Amanda Yip]], is also a judge. His father's vocation later earned Ben the nickname "[[Milord|M'lud]]".<ref>{{cite news|title=Kay has made his case for a place|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/kay-has-made-his-case-for-a-place-6333088.html|work=[[London Evening Standard]]|date=20 March 2002|first=Chris|last=Jones}}</ref><ref name="mlud">{{cite news|title=All you need to know about tonight's teams|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2007/oct/13/rugbyunion.rugbyworldcup20076|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=13 October 2007}}</ref> Kay first started playing rugby for [[Waterloo R.F.C.|Waterloo]] minis going on to play for the Waterloo first team.

Kay played for his school ([[Merchant Taylors' Boys' School, Crosby]]) and has also played for [[Queensland University]]. He represented England in the 1996 Students World Cup in South Africa and at U18, U19 and U21 level. He attended [[Loughborough University]], where he obtained a degree in Sports Science.

==Career==

[[File:Ben Kay.jpg|thumb|left|Ben Kay with the Guinness Premiership trophy]]

Kay joined [[Leicester Tigers]] from Waterloo in 1999 and first played during the [[1999 Rugby World Cup|World Cup]], with Tigers' normal [[Lock (rugby union)|Second rows]] [[Martin Johnson (rugby union)|Martin Johnson]] and [[Fritz van Heerden]] away with England and {{nrut|South Africa}} respectively. With the help of Johnson and van Heerden, he developed his game, becoming a highly rated middle [[line-out (rugby union)|line-out]] jumper, like van Heerden. He was a member of Tigers' [[Heineken Cup]] winning sides in [[2001 Heineken Cup Final|2001]]<ref name="European glory seals Leicester treble">{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/in_depth/2000/heineken_cup/1339721.stm|title=European glory seals Leicester treble|publisher=[[BBC]]|date=19 May 2001|access-date=1 July 2009}}</ref> and [[2002 Heineken Cup Final|2002]]<ref name="Tigers retain European Cup">{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/european/2008245.stm|title=Tigers retain European Cup|publisher=BBC|date=25 May 2002|access-date=1 July 2009 | first=Jonathon | last=Moore}}</ref> as his international career blossomed.

Having made his [[England Saxons|England A]] debut against [[France A national rugby union team|France A]] in Blagnac in 2000 Kay led England A to a 23–22 win over France A at Redruth in April 2001, and was called up for England's successful tour of North America and Japan that summer. He made his [[England national rugby union team|England]] debut against [[Canada national rugby union team|Canada]] on 2 June 2001 displacing [[Danny Grewcock]] from the England side.<ref name="Lewsey shines as England pack punch">{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/international/england/3006625/Lewsey-shines-as-England-pack-punch.html|title=Lewsey shines as England pack punch|work=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|date=2 June 2001|access-date=1 July 2009 | location=London | first=Sam | last=Lyon}}</ref>

After another outstanding season he was named as the Tigers Members' Player of the Year 2001/2, and was a nominee for the [[Zurich Premiership]] Player of the Year. He was in the starting line-up for all the [[Six Nations Championship|Six Nations]] games in [[2002 Six Nations|2002]], and scored a try against [[Ireland national rugby union team|Ireland]].<ref name="Awesome England brush Ireland aside">{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/international/1824381.stm|title=Awesome England brush Ireland aside|publisher=BBC|date=16 February 2002|access-date=1 July 2009}}</ref> After touring with England to [[Argentina national rugby union team|Argentina]] in the summer of 2002, where he scored his second try,<ref name="Argentina beaten by England youngsters">{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/international/2060216.stm|title=Argentina beaten by England youngsters|publisher=BBC|date=22 June 2002|access-date=1 July 2009}}</ref> Kay went on to compete in both the Autumn internationals and the [[2003 Six Nations|Six Nations]], before touring to New Zealand and Australia in June 2003.

Kay confirmed his status as a core part of the England squad in the [[2003 Rugby World Cup|World Cup]] when he played every minute of every England game except the game against [[Uruguay national rugby union team|Uruguay]]. His line-out skills came to the fore here, particularly during the games against [[South Africa national rugby union team|South Africa]], when Kay learned to count in Afrikaans to crack the [[South Africa national rugby union team|Springboks]]' line-out codes.<ref name="Ben Kay: The Codebreaker">{{cite web |title=England crack lock combination |website=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |date=17 October 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201027233033/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/international/england/2323511/England-crack-lock-combination.html |archive-date=27 October 2020 |url-status=live |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/international/england/2323511/England-crack-lock-combination.html}}</ref> During the final against [[Australia national rugby union team|Australia]], Kay famously knocked-on (dropped the ball forwards) in a try-scoring position when a try would have almost certainly meant an England win. England won regardless, partly as a result of Tigers' teammate [[Lewis Moody]] winning a line-out Kay himself had called.{{citation needed|date=November 2022}}

[[Sir Clive Woodward]] selected him for the [[2005 British & Irish Lions tour to New Zealand]].<ref name="Wilkinson left out of Lions squad ">{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/international/4425357.stm|title=Wilkinson left out of Lions squad|publisher=BBC|date=11 April 2005|access-date=1 July 2009}}</ref> Kay came off the bench against [[Argentina national rugby union team|Argentina]] in an official [[Test match (rugby union)|Test]] prior to the tour.<ref name="Lions 25-25 Argentina">{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/international/4571967.stm|title=Lions 25–25 Argentina|publisher=BBC|date=23 May 2005|access-date=1 July 2009| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090523065522/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/international/4571967.stm| archive-date= 23 May 2009 | url-status= live}}</ref> Kay started in the first Test of the series.<ref name="New Zealand 21-3 Lions">{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/international/4618309.stm|title=New Zealand 21–3 Lions|publisher=BBC|date=25 June 2005|access-date=1 July 2009}}</ref>

He was the only player to play every minute of England's 2007 Rugby World Cup campaign culminating in their narrow loss in the Final.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/7052822.stm|title=World Cup final 2007|publisher=BBC|date=20 October 2007|access-date=1 July 2009 | first=James | last=Standley| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090221012037/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/7052822.stm| archive-date=21 February 2009| url-status= live}}</ref> He was one of only four players to have started both the [[2003 Rugby World Cup Final|2003]] and [[2007 Rugby World Cup Final|2007]] RWC Finals, the other three being [[Jonny Wilkinson]], [[Jason Robinson (rugby)|Jason Robinson]] and [[Phil Vickery (rugby union)|Phil Vickery]].

Kay helped Leicester win the Premiership in 2007, starting the final as they defeated [[Gloucester Rugby|Gloucester]].<ref>{{cite news
|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/english/6637669.stm
|title=Premiership final
|publisher=[[BBC]]
|date=12 May 2007 |access-date=9 February 2020}}</ref> He was a used replacement in every game of the [[2008 Six Nations]].<ref name="Six Nations 2008">{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/7294610.stm|title=Six Nations 2008|publisher=BBC|date=15 March 2008|access-date=1 July 2009 | first=Phil | last=Gordos}}</ref>

Kay started both the [[2008–09 Heineken Cup]] final and the [[2008–09 Guinness Premiership|Guinness Premiership]] win the same season.<ref>{{cite news
|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/english/8048413.stm
|title=Leicester 10-9 London Irish 
|publisher=[[BBC]]
|date=16 May 2009 |access-date=9 February 2020}}</ref> The Tigers won back-to-back Premiership titles the following season, in the [[2009–10 Guinness Premiership]], by beating Saracens 33–27 at Twickenham,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/english/8708250.stm|title=Leicester 33-27 Saracens|date=29 May 2010}}</ref> though Kay did not feature in that game. He decided to retire at the end of the [[2009–10 English Premiership (rugby union)|2009–10 season]] after 11 years with [[Leicester Tigers]].<ref name="Kay announces retirement">{{cite news|url=http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/leicestertigers/Leicester-Tigers-lock-Ben-Kay-announces-retirement/article-2284580-detail/article.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130421113121/http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/leicestertigers/Leicester-Tigers-lock-Ben-Kay-announces-retirement/article-2284580-detail/article.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=21 April 2013|title=Kay announces retirement|work=[[Leicester Mercury]]|date=9 June 2010|access-date=9 June 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Former Leicester Tigers lock Ben Kay announces retirement|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/club/7815409/Former-Leicester-Tigers-lock-Ben-Kay-announces-retirement.html|work=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|date=9 June 2010}}</ref> He has since worked as a commentator for ESPN and BT Sport.

He also served as non-executive director on Leicester Tigers' board of directors between 2014 and 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Club statement: Leicester Tigers Board of Directors|url=https://www.leicestertigers.com/news/club-statement-210614|access-date=14 June 2021|website=Leicester Tigers|language=en}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Kay is a supporter of [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool FC]].<ref name="Leicester Tigers star Ben Kay delighted to be back in England set-up">{{cite web|url=http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/rugby/Leicester-Tigers-star-Ben-Kay-delighted-England-set/article-1053230-detail/article.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130505082743/http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/rugby/Leicester-Tigers-star-Ben-Kay-delighted-England-set/article-1053230-detail/article.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=5 May 2013|title=Leicester Tigers star Ben Kay delighted to be back in England set-up|work=[[Leicester Mercury]]|date=5 June 2009|access-date=1 July 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Small Talk: Ben Kay|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2004/feb/13/sixnations2004.rugbyunion|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=13 February 2004}}</ref>

In 2002, Kay married long-time girlfriend Virginia, a physiotherapist,<ref>{{cite news|title=Ben's home for catch of the day|work=[[Liverpool Echo]]|date=25 July 2002}}</ref> and they have two children.<ref>{{cite news|title=Rugby World Cup: Where are the Scrummies?|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/features/3634323/Rugby-World-Cup-Where-are-the-Scrummies.html|work=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|date=9 October 2007}}</ref> His long time Leicester Tigers and England teammate [[Martin Johnson (rugby union)|Martin Johnson]] was an usher at his wedding.

Kay paid his respects to his former sports teacher at Merchant Taylors, Ian 'Robbo' Robinson, who died in a white water rafting incident whilst on a rugby tour with the school.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/2007/10/18/england-hero-ben-kay-s-debt-to-mr-robinson-100252-19971582/|title=England hero Ben Kay's debt to Mr Robinson|last=Barrett|first=Tony|date=18 October 2007|work=[[Liverpool Echo]]|access-date=16 March 2009}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
* [http://www.leicestertigers.com/squad/players.php?player=4078&includeref=dynamic Tigers profile]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070927204444/http://www.england-rugby.com/englandrugby/index.cfm?fuseaction=News.News_Detail&storyid=4178 England profile]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20160307172902/http://en.espn.co.uk/england/rugby/player/13646.html Profile & Career Statistics] at ESPNscrum
* [http://www.sporting-heroes.net/rugby-heroes/displayhero.asp?HeroID=4019 Ben Kay photo 1 by sportingheroes.net]
* [http://www.sporting-heroes.net/rugby-heroes/displayhero.asp?HeroID=4020 Ben Kay photo 2 by sportingheroes.net]

{{England 2007 Rugby World Cup squad}}
{{British and Irish Lions 2005}}
{{England 2003 Rugby World Cup squad}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kay, Ben}}
[[Category:1975 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Alumni of Loughborough University]]
[[Category:British & Irish Lions rugby union players from England]]
[[Category:England international rugby union players]]
[[Category:English rugby union players]]
[[Category:Leicester Tigers players]]
[[Category:Loughborough Students RUFC players]]
[[Category:Members of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:People educated at Merchant Taylors' Boys' School, Crosby]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Crosby, Merseyside]]
[[Category:Rugby union players from Merseyside]]
[[Category:Rugby union locks]]
[[Category:Rugby union players from Liverpool]]
[[Category:Waterloo F.C. players]]
[[Category:2003 Rugby World Cup players]]
[[Category:2007 Rugby World Cup players]]