Mike Tindall has announced that his dad, Phil Tindall, died last week after living with Parkinson’s for over two decades.
He shared the news on the latest episode of The Good, The Bad & The Rugby. Towards the end, he told co-hosts James Haskell and Alex Payne.
The former England star then reflected on Phil’s rugby life and a touching tribute from his old club. Mike, 47, is married to Zara Tindall, the daughter of Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips. The devastating loss follows years in which Mike spoke openly about his father’s worsening health.
Mike Tindall announces death of dad
In a statement on the podcast, Mike shared: “Unfortunately, my dad passed away last week.”
Phil was a former captain of Otley Rugby Club in West Yorkshire, where he played during 1972 and 1973.
Mike thanked the players and club and said he had been sent footage of the moving tribute. He also read a message about his father in the match programme.
He said: “Big shout-out to Otley Rugby Club. They played Chester on the weekend, and they did a minute’s silence to my dad, who was captain in ’72, ’73.”
The club observed a minute’s silence before its match against Chester last weekend. Mike said somebody recorded the tribute, allowing him to see the moment for himself.
He added: “That little moment, I got to watch it. Someone recorded it, sent it to me, and then they wrote a little thing in the programme as well, which I read. But thank you very much to Otley Rugby Club for it.”
Mike Tindall remembers his father’s rugby years
Phil’s playing career ended when he was 27 following an injury. Mike recalled that his father broke his leg one week before marrying Linda in 1969.
Phil still walked down the aisle in a cast, according to his son’s podcast account. The story offered a glimpse of Phil’s life in rugby long before his Parkinson’s diagnosis.
He said: “He got married in 69, broke his leg the week before, went down the aisle in a cast. I mean, it sort of all went wrong. He had to retire at 27.”
Phil’s illness became a deeply personal cause for Mike. He has served as a patron of Cure Parkinson’s since 2018, while raising money and awareness for research.
His fundraising has included cycling events and an annual charity golf tournament. Earlier this year, Mike said he wanted to spare other families from watching a loved one’s quality of life decline.
During a May interview, Mike described Parkinson’s as “brutal” and explained how severely the illness had changed Phil. He said more than 23 years with the condition had left his father “a shell of what he once was”.
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