Mike Tindall criticised for sporting ‘Make England Great Again’ hat in aftermath of Six Nations defeat
Mike Tindall has been criticised for wearing a ‘Make England Great Again’ hat in the aftermath of England’s pasting by Ireland in the Six Nations.
Tindall – son-in-law of Princess Anne – sported the red cap, which some likened to Donald Trump‘s signature Make America Great Again headpiece, on an episode of podcast The Good, The Bad, & The Rugby.
He hosts the show alongside his old England rugby teammate James Haskell and former Sky Sports presenter Alex Payne.
Tindall, who earned 75 international caps between 2000 and 2011, slammed the performance of Steve Borthwick‘s team on Saturday.
This sentiment was playfully reflected by the message on his hat – but some interpreted it in a context wider than the rugby.
Broadcaster and political commentator Narinder Kaur posted a screen shot of Tindall in his hat on X, with the caption: ‘Princess Anne’s son-in-law, Mike Tindall, wearing a “Make England Great Again” cap.
‘People excusing this as “rugby” connected.
‘I did NOT look at that and think “rugby”, I thought MAGA.
Mike Tindell sparked a backlash from some after wearing a ‘Make England Great Again’ hat after England’s defeat to Ireland in the Six Nations
Tindall was hosting an episode of the podcast The Good, The Bad & The Rugby, when he slammed England’s performance
Broadcaster Nariner Kaur led the criticism of Mike’s hat, claiming rugby should not be used as an ‘excuse’ for it
‘This isn’t a good look coming from the Royal Family – pretty low.’
Others on the social media platform also suggested Tindall wore the hat deliberately, and warned it was not a good look for the royals.
An X user wrote: ‘Nope, that isn’t going to help the Royal Family. He knows with whom that hat is associated and what it means.’
Another said: ‘Mike Tindall should have retired early from Rugby and lay off the booze. He has clearly lost his god damn mind.
‘Especially when he is part of a grifting taxpayers funded family, that is sucking the life out of Britain.’
Another jibed: ‘For a member of a family that is already deeply in the s***, you have to hand it to Mike Tindall – Princess Anne’s son-in-law – he really has a talent for gauging the nation’s temperature.
‘Great choice of headwear, Mike.’
Tindall more than earned the right to comment on England’s performance, after being part of the squad that won the 2003 rugby World Cup – and the Six Nations the same year.
He featured in the Six Nations team for 11 consecutive years.
Tindall tied the knot with Zara Phillips, the late Queen’s granddaughter, in July 2011, three months before his final professional appearance for England – when he captained a 16-12 victory over Scotland.
Mike Tindall with his wife Zara Phillips, daughter of Princess Anne, at a race day in Australia in January
Tindall earned 75 caps for Engalnd between 2000 and 2011, during which time they won the World Cup and Six Nations
Others rushed to Mr Tindall’s defence, insisting the problem lies with those who misinterpret the cap
Others pointed out that the cap’s message was very clearly a reference to the rugby
Following England’s crushing 42-21 loss over the weekend, Tindall riled Irish fans by claiming the game had been ‘given’ to them.
From under the ‘MEGA’ cap, he said: ‘They did not have to do anything to win that game.
‘It was all given to them by England. England had enough position, they had more metres gained, more defenders beaten, more carries, more dominant carries, more yards after the tackle. They had more territory and possession.
‘Ireland only created opportunities to get into England’s 22 like five times and they were through line breaks of ridiculous missed tackles of individual error that haven’t showed up since the autumn of 2024.’
Tindall was already out of favour with some rugby fans for fronting the campaign for a breakaway league, the R360.
The move would attract significant private investment, but its opponents argue it would sound a death knell for the Premiership.
But over the hat issue, at least, some remain on Tindall’s side.
One X user wrote: ‘For the record Mike Tindall was a member of that World Cup winning team.
‘Whilst wearing that hat he was on a rugby podcast talking about England’s poor performance against Ireland & Scotland in this year’s 6 nations tournament.’
Another said: ‘It’s an ex rugby player, now rugby commentator, on a rugby podcast called ‘The Good, The Bad, & The Rugby’, discussing England Rugby performance in the Six Nations Rugby Championship.’
Mike Tindall’s representatives were approached for comment.
