James Duncan (12 November 1869 – 19 October 1953) was a New Zealand rugby union footballer, coach and referee.

He appeared for Otago, before being selected to play for New Zealand in 1897.

In 1905, he was selected to coach the New Zealand team to tour the Northern Hemisphere.

In 1908 James Duncan refereed a Test between New Zealand and the Anglo-Welsh.

This biographical article relating to New Zealand rugby union, about a person born in the 1860s, is a stub.