A former Hurricanes, Tasman, and Taranaki player, James Marshall played six seasons of Super Rugby and clocked up over 50 games for the Hurricanes and 61 provincial games across Taranaki and Tasman.

James played in Japan and Europe, including 46 games for London Irish, before returning to New Zealand and taking up an Assistant Coach position at Tasman where he remained for three seasons.

In 2023, James joined the Crusaders as Assistant Coach, primarily focussed on attack.