[1] He joined the Bristol Shoguns club in the summer of 2001 and played in the Zurich Premiership during the 2001/02 and 2002/03 seasons, earning 21 games in total.
He had less game time throughout the 2005–06 season, due to a double fracture of his cheekbone and eye socket which was sustained in a pre-season win over Exeter Chiefs in August 2005.
He practically made the number seven shirt his own that season and his excellent form for Bath Rugby was rewarded with a call-up into England’s squad for the 2008 Six Nations, winning him four caps against Italy, France, Ireland and Scotland.
He started for England at 7 against New Zealand on the All Blacks' Grand Slam tour of 2008 in the 2008 end of year rugby tests, his tenth and final International appearance.
[13] Michael Lipman resigned from Bath along with Alex Crockett and Andrew Higgins on 1 June 2009[14][15] in controversial circumstances amid allegations of refusing to take drug tests which the players deny.
Lipman, Crockett and Higgins did not take a test and resigned from the club shortly before they were due to attend an internal disciplinary hearing.
In one he interviewed Hugh Pyle (a new Vice Captain) and John Muggleton (Coach) about preparations for the 2012 Super Rugby season.
[24][25] His 2022 book Concussion, written with his wife Frankie, describes his battle with early-onset dementia caused by head injuries during his playing career.