Benedict James Kay MBE (born 14 December 1975) is an English retired international rugby union footballer who played second row forward for Leicester Tigers, England and the British & Irish Lions.

[9] During the final against Australia, Kay famously knocked-on (dropped the ball forwards) in a try-scoring position when a try would have almost certainly meant an England win.

England won regardless, partly as a result of Tigers' teammate Lewis Moody winning a line-out Kay himself had called.

[citation needed] Sir Clive Woodward selected him for the 2005 British & Irish Lions tour to New Zealand.

[12] He was the only player to play every minute of England's 2007 Rugby World Cup campaign culminating in their narrow loss in the Final.

[13] He was one of only four players to have started both the 2003 and 2007 RWC Finals, the other three being Jonny Wilkinson, Jason Robinson and Phil Vickery.

Kay paid his respects to his former sports teacher at Merchant Taylors, Ian 'Robbo' Robinson, who died in a white water rafting incident whilst on a rugby tour with the school.