Grant Shiells is a Scottish rugby union player who made his name as a loosehead prop in the English Premiership and the Scottish professional game. Born in the rugby heartland of the Scottish Borders, Shiells rose from the amateur ranks at Kelso to more than 100 senior appearances for Newcastle Falcons, Edinburgh and London Scottish, and earned international recognition with Scotland at under-20 and A level.
A powerful front-row forward, Shiells built his reputation on the unglamorous arts of scrummaging: the strength, technique and stamina required to anchor a pack against some of the biggest forwards in European rugby. His career took him from the Borders to Tyneside, to Bath, to the Scottish capital and to London, before a later chapter with the Southern Knights in Scotland’s domestic Super Series.
In this complete biography, we cover everything about Grant Shiells — his wiki and biography details, age, height, weight, girlfriend and relationship status, rugby career and club statistics, and his estimated net worth — plus 10 interesting facts and frequently asked questions.
Grant Shiells Wiki and Biography
| Full Name | Grant Shiells |
| Date of Birth | September 23, 1989 |
| Age | 37 years old (as of October 2026) |
| Birthplace | Melrose, Scottish Borders, Scotland |
| Nationality | Scottish |
| Ethnicity | Not publicly disclosed |
| Zodiac | Libra |
| Profession | Rugby union player (loosehead prop) |
| Years Active | 2009–2019+ (senior professional career) |
| Girlfriend / Relationship Status | Not publicly disclosed |
Grant Shiells was born on September 23, 1989, in Melrose, a small town in the Scottish Borders steeped in rugby tradition — the town is the birthplace of rugby sevens. He attended Kelso High School, another Borders school with a proud rugby heritage, and went on to study at Edinburgh Napier University. Like many Borders forwards before him, he learned the game in the fiercely competitive amateur club scene, playing his early senior rugby for Kelso RFC.
The Borders has produced generations of tough, technically sound forwards, and Shiells fitted the mould. As a loosehead prop — the number 1 in the front row — his job was to provide the platform for everything else: a stable scrum, clean ball at the set piece, and hard carrying in the tight channels. It is a position where experience counts for more than headlines, and Shiells accumulated it steadily across two countries and five clubs.
Grant Shiells Height, Weight and Physical Stats
| Height | 1.86 metres (6 feet 1 inch) |
| Weight | 107 kg (16 stone 12 pounds) |
| Measurements | Not publicly disclosed |
| Eye Color | Not publicly disclosed |
| Hair Color | Not publicly disclosed |
| Shoe Size | Not publicly disclosed |
| Distinctive Features | Powerful front-row build; a specialist loosehead prop |
At 1.86 metres and 107 kilograms, Shiells had the classic dimensions of a modern loosehead prop: tall enough to generate leverage in the scrum, heavy enough to hold his ground against international-class tightheads, and mobile enough to contribute around the park. Props carry more weight than almost any other position on the field, and his 107-kilogram frame reflected the strength work and conditioning that front-row rugby demands week after week.
Grant Shiells Career
| Profession | Rugby union player |
| Started | Amateur rugby with Kelso RFC; turned professional with Newcastle Falcons in 2009 |
| Known For | Loosehead prop for Newcastle Falcons, Edinburgh and London Scottish; Scotland age-grade international |
| Platforms | English Premiership, Pro14, RFU Championship, Scottish Super Series |
| Milestones | 80 appearances for Newcastle Falcons; Scotland U20 international; trained with the senior Scotland squad in 2012 |
Shiells crossed the border in 2009 to join Newcastle Falcons, the English Premiership club then coached by fellow Kelso man Alan Tait. It was a significant step up from Scottish semi-professional rugby, but he adapted quickly and went on to make 80 senior appearances for the Falcons between 2009 and 2014, scoring five points. His breakthrough moment came in the Amlin Challenge Cup in late 2011, when he starred in a famous 6–3 win over French giants Toulon at Kingston Park, scrummaging directly against former All Black Carl Hayman. The performance made him the name on everyone’s lips that night, even if the modest prop himself insisted the credit belonged to the whole pack.
After leaving Newcastle in 2014, Shiells had a brief spell with Bath, where he did not make a senior appearance, before returning north to join Edinburgh, then competing in the Pro12. Between 2014 and 2016 he made 12 appearances for the Scottish capital side. He then moved back to England to join London Scottish in the RFU Championship, where he enjoyed one of his most productive periods, making 26 appearances and scoring 10 points in the 2016–17 season.
Internationally, Shiells represented Scotland at under-20 level, winning four caps in 2008–09, and played once for Scotland A in 2013. His closest brush with the full national side came in November 2012, when Scotland head coach Andy Robinson invited him to train with the senior squad during their camp in St Andrews, after injuries hit the front-row options. The call-up was recognition of his form at Newcastle and of the regard in which Scotland’s coaches held Borders-trained props.
Later in his career, Shiells returned to Scottish domestic rugby with the Southern Knights, the Borders-based side in the Super Series, from 2019 onwards — a homecoming that brought his professional journey full circle, back to the region where it all began.
Grant Shiells Net Worth
| Net Worth | Not publicly reported (estimated figures are unavailable) |
| Income Sources | Professional rugby contracts with Newcastle Falcons, Edinburgh, London Scottish and the Southern Knights |
No reliable source has published an estimated net worth for Grant Shiells, and rugby players’ salaries outside the very top of the sport are not publicly disclosed, so any specific figure would be guesswork. His income came from his professional contracts across England and Scotland, supplemented by the standard match and appearance arrangements of club rugby. Readers should be wary of websites that attach a precise net worth number to his name, as none can be verified.
10 Interesting Facts About Grant Shiells
- Grant Shiells was born on September 23, 1989, in Melrose, the Scottish Borders town where rugby sevens was invented.
- He attended Kelso High School and later studied at Edinburgh Napier University.
- He began his senior rugby career with amateur club Kelso RFC in the Borders.
- He joined Newcastle Falcons in 2009 under head coach Alan Tait, a fellow Kelso man.
- He made 80 senior appearances for Newcastle Falcons between 2009 and 2014.
- He starred in Newcastle’s famous 6–3 Amlin Challenge Cup win over Toulon in 2011, facing former All Black Carl Hayman in the scrum.
- He played for Edinburgh in the Pro12, making 12 appearances between 2014 and 2016.
- He scored 10 points in 26 appearances for London Scottish in the 2016–17 season.
- He won four caps for Scotland Under-20 and one cap for Scotland A.
- In November 2012 he was invited to train with the senior Scotland squad at their St Andrews camp.
Conclusion
Grant Shiells’ career is a testament to the value of the front-row craftsman. He never chased the spotlight, but from Kelso to Kingston Park, from Murrayfield to London and back to the Borders, he earned the respect of coaches and teammates at every stop. His 80 appearances for Newcastle Falcons, his age-grade honours for Scotland and his call-up to train with the senior national squad mark him out as one of the reliable Borders props of his generation — a player whose contribution was measured in scrums won, not headlines grabbed.
Frequently Asked Questions About Grant Shiells
Who is Grant Shiells?
Grant Shiells is a Scottish rugby union player who played as a loosehead prop for Newcastle Falcons, Edinburgh, London Scottish and the Southern Knights.
How old is Grant Shiells?
He was born on September 23, 1989, making him 37 years old as of October 2026.
Where is Grant Shiells from?
He was born in Melrose, in the Scottish Borders, Scotland.
How tall is Grant Shiells?
He is 1.86 metres tall, which is 6 feet 1 inch.
What is Grant Shiells’ weight?
He is listed at 107 kilograms (16 stone 12 pounds).
What position does Grant Shiells play?
He plays loosehead prop, wearing the number 1 shirt in the front row of the scrum.
Which clubs did Grant Shiells play for?
Kelso RFC, Newcastle Falcons, Bath, Edinburgh, London Scottish and the Southern Knights.
Did Grant Shiells play for Scotland?
He represented Scotland at under-20 level (four caps) and Scotland A (one cap), and trained with the senior squad in 2012.
What is Grant Shiells’ net worth?
No reliable public source has reported an estimated net worth for him.
Is Grant Shiells still playing?
He joined the Southern Knights in 2019; no recent senior appearances are publicly documented beyond that spell.
Last Updated: October 2026 | Fact-checked by Xposed editorial team