MIKE Tindall is looking forward to combining the roles of new father and Gloucester rugby coach.
The former England star and his wife Zara Phillips have announced that their first child is due to be born in the New Year.
Tindall was one of five panellists at a Sports Question Time at the Brewin Dolphin Cheltenham Cricket Festival on Wednesday night.
Host Jill Douglas asked if he was looking forward to some early mornings.
Tindall replied: "In January, February and March I think Nigel Davies (Gloucester coach) will have to pick up a lot of the slack from the work I should be doing then."
Tindall was joined by former England and Gloucestershire cricket star David "Syd" Lawrence, racing trainer Carl Llewellyn, former Cheltenham Town star Shane Duff and hockey Olympic bronze medallist Ashleigh Ball for the question and answer session.
All celebrated the fact that British sport is enjoying a fantastic summer with the British and Irish Lions victory in Australia being followed by Andy Murray's Wimbledon victory.
Ball said that the momentum had started with the 2012 Olympics and continued to grow. Tindall agreed. "We are riding the crest of a wave that started with the Olympics," he said.
The panel were asked to name their most inspiring coaches. Ball praised her first hockey coach at St Edwards School in Cheltenham and Duff said he had worked under many great coaches with the best being the ones "you didn't know were there" and who quietly got on with building a team. From Llewellyn came the admission that coaches just didn't exist in horse racing until around a year ago.
For Lawrence and Tindall it was people close to home. Lawrence said Bryan Worrall, his first cricket coach in Gloucester as a youngster was his inspiration. Tindall praised Dean Richards for his work in the first three years he was in charge of Gloucester.
The event raised money for the Air Ambulance and Gloucester Rugby community foundation CIC.
