Harry Alistair Ellis (born 17 May 1982 in Leicester) is a retired English rugby union footballer who played scrum half for Leicester Tigers, England and the British & Irish Lions. On 8 July 2010, Ellis announced his retirement from the game as a result of a persistent knee injury. He now works at his former school, Leicester Grammar School, teaching PE to A-Level and GCSE students, and contributing to the coaching of its 1st XV and other sporting teams. Club career Ellis first played rugby union as a 6-year-old with the South Leicester club. He studied at Bushloe High School and later Leicester Grammar School, where he represented Leicester Schools and the Midlands at every age level. He also became a teacher for a short period of time. He spent a year with the Wigston club South Leicester RUFC before he finally joined the Leicester Tigers Academy where he combined playing with further education at De Montfort University. He worked his way through the Tigers lower teams and continued his representative career, playing for both the England U19 and U21 sides. He has also featured in the England Sevens squad along with his teammate Louis Deacon. In August 2001, he made his first team Tigers debut in the Orange Cup game in Toulouse. In Leicester's 2002 Heineken Cup quarter final, Ellis scored the only try of the game, breaking away from a ruck and sliding over on the wet ground. Ellis went on to score a superb individual try that helped defeat Llanelli in the Heineken Cup semi-final at Nottingham. In the final itself Ellis came on as a replacement as Leicester emerged victorious. He was named Tigers’ Players Young Player of the Year for the 2001–2 season. He finally established himself as a regular in the No. 9 spot during the 2003–04 season, making 19 appearances and helping Tigers come back from a poor start and a turbulent mid-season to reach the Zurich Wild Card final. Ellis suffered knee ligament damage against Bristol on 5 May 2007 in the Guinness Premiership semi-final play-off. He played an influential role in the Tigers' domestic double success, but the injury meant him missing out on the Premiership and Heineken Cup finals. The Heineken Cup semi-final against Cardiff Blues resulted in a historic sudden death kicking competition. The shoot-out ended before Ellis's turn came up – though it was a close run thing,