Mike Tindall has been making the most of the easing of lockdown restrictions to enjoy a night out with friends to watch his favourite sport.
Zara Tindall‘s husband, 42, watched the European Rugby Champions Cup’s final game, opposing Toulouse and La Rochelle from Twickenham Stadium.
He was flanked by his friends James Haskell and Alex Payne, with whom he presents the Good, the Bad and the Rugdby podcast.
It was no doubt one of Mike’s first night out in a long time, due to repetitive lockdowns and the birth of his son Lucas on March 21, which has kept him busy at home.
Mike, who is also the father of Mia, seven and Lena, two, shared pictures of his big night on Instagram, where he counts 71,000 followers.
Father-of-three Mike Tindall, 42, watched the European Rugby Champions Cup’s final game, opposing Toulouse and La Rochelle from Twickenham Stadium, pictured
The former player was all smiles in the snaps, where he relished in being in the company of his friends for the first time in several months.
‘Great to be at HQ today to watch the @europeanrugbychampionscup final,’ he wrote in his Instagram caption.
‘So good to see the @goodbadrugby brothers in person for the first time in a long time,’ he added.
‘Well done Toulouse! Thanks to @heineken for their hospitality roll on full stadiums,’ he added enthusiastically.
Mike was accompanied by his friends James Haskell and Alex Payne, with whom he hosts the The Good, the Bad and the Rugby podcast
Toulouse beat fellow French rugby club La Rochelle 22 to 17 during the intense game.
2021 has been a busy year so far for Mike, who welcomed his and Zara’s third child on March 21.
Just last week, the family celebrated Zara’s 40th birthday, not two months after the eventful birth of their son Lucas.
Zara gave birth in one of the bathrooms of Gatcombe Park, where she lives with her mother Princess Anne, 70.
Proud father Mike shared the news on his podcast The Good, The Bad and The Rugby – and hailed Zara a ‘warrior’.
Mike, pictured, seemed delighted to enjoy his night out, seeing his friends in person for the first time in a long time, following the birth of his son Lucas on March 21
He later revealed he took the little one straight downstairs to watch sport on TV, after snipping the cord and enjoying skin-on-skin contact.
The unconventional royal birth announcement via Mike’s podcast shows yet again a different approach from the Tindalls, who revealed their third pregnancy in the same manner. In the past, the couple had pregnancies formally announced by Buckingham Palace.
Former England rugby legend Mike told podcast hosts Alex Payne, James Haskell and guest Ellis Genge at the time: ‘Sunday got even better because a little baby boy arrived at my house!’
Mike added that they hadn’t yet decided on a name at the time the podcast was recorded, admitting they never pick one before they arrive, but Zara was soon up and about and they took him for a walk that morning. The name was announced on a few days later by a spokeswoman for the couple.
A spokeswoman for the couple said: ‘Zara and Mike Tindall are happy to announce the birth of their third child, Lucas Philip Tindall.’ The little boy is the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh’s 10th great-grandchild, and 22nd in line to the throne
Zara and Mike, pictured at Chetlenham in 2020 welcomed their son Lucas at home on March 21 after Princess Anne’s daughter gave birth in one of the bathrooms of Gatcombe Park, where the family lives
Speaking about the birth, Mike told how Zara had experienced contractions the night before, so they organised childcare for Mia and Lena – but the little boy arrived so fast they didn’t have time to make it to hospital.
Mike recalled: ‘Fortunately Zara’s friend Dolly [Maude] is, she’s actually more important than I am at making sure she’s been at all three of my children’s births, she was there and recognised that we wouldn’t have got to the hospital in time, so it was run into the gym, get a mat, get into the bathroom, towels down, brace brace brace!
‘Fortunately the midwife that was going to meet us at the hospital wasn’t that far away so she drove up, got there just as we’d assumed the position, and then the second midwife arrived just after the head had arrived!’
Asked how Zara was doing, he replied: ‘As every man will say, she was a warrior, as always. They always are. We can never judge a woman in terms of what they have to go through with childbirth so… no, she was back up, we went for a walk this morning with him, and yeah all good.’
Mike told how the birth was very different to their previous children; he said: ‘It’s been a slow journey, so first one was in Gloucester Royal, done the right way, we was induced as well that one, and then second one was in Stroud in a local birth clinic, and this one we didn’t even make it there.
‘I literally was like yep, snip snip, I’ve got my boy, I’m out, I’m out of here!’
He added: ‘The best thing about being at home was, the best thing, as soon as he’s wrapped up, you’re skin on skin, straight downstairs, TV room, golf on, and I was like, this is what me and you are doing.