James Forrester (born 9 February 1981 in Oxford) is a former English rugby union player who played at number eight for Gloucester Rugby. Forrester is a tall, agile, talented number eight with excellent ball handling skills and an eye for the try line, as his impressive try tally for Gloucester Rugby demonstrates. Born in Oxford, he learnt his rugby at school and as a mini/junior with Bicester Rugby Club. During his time at St Edward's School, Oxford, he also developed his game and although disappointed at missing out on an England U18 Group Schools cap in 1999, he had more than made up for it by the end of that year when he signed for Gloucester Rugby. Whilst at Gloucester he started in the 2002 Zurich Championship Final (the year before winning the play-offs constituted winning the English title) in which Gloucester defeated Bristol Rugby, and the 2003 Powergen Cup Final in which he scored a try when Gloucester defeated Northampton Saints. In 2003 Forrester was named PRA Premiership Young Player Of The Year as well as Sports Writers Young Player of the year. He was also named in the 37 man training squad for the 2003 World cup before a wrist injury and surgery ruled him unavailable. Having played for England U21 he made his England A debut against Wales in Bristol during 2002 and in June of that year also played for an England XV against the Barbarians at Twickenham, scoring a memorable 65-metre try and outstripping Jonah Lomu in the process. He was also capped by the England Sevens squad in 2002, playing in the opening World Series tournament in Dubai and two others and was man of the match with two tries, when England A thrashed Scotland 78–6 in March 2003. He was considered an outside chance for Clive Woodward's 2003 Rugby World Cup squad but was ultimately left out. Unfortunately, injury has affected his career and he required an elbow operation in 2002–03 and then dislocated his shoulder in 2003–04 in the England A match against France A. In the summer of 2004 he signed a three-year contract to stay at Kingsholm. In 2005 he sneaked his first England cap, against Wales in the RBS 6 Nations, coming on as a blood replacement for Joe Worsley. His second cap came as a replacement in November 2005 against Samoa. Forrester has shown his versatility, in that