At the 2011 World Rowing Championships in Bled, James and crew mates Alex Partridge, Cameron Nichol, Nathaniel Reilly-O'Donnell, Mohamed Sbihi, Greg Searle, Tom Ransley, Dan Ritchie and (cox) Phelan Hill won a silver medal in the men's eight after rowing through opposition from Canada nand Australia. Germany won the gold.

James won bronze in the men's eight at the 2011 World Cup Regatta in Lucerne.

At the 2011 GB Rowing Team Senior Trials held on 16-17 April at Eton/Dorney, James took 5th place in the men's pair with Mohamed Sbihi.

At the 2010 World Rowing Championships on New Zealand's Lake Karapiro, James won a fine silver medal in the eight. This was an excellent step on for the crew, who were only six-tenths of a second behind the reigning world champions, Germany, as they crossed the line.  The bronze medal went to Australia.

For the 2010 World Cup Series James raced in the men's eight, winning a gold medal in Bled, a bronze in Munich and taking another bronze in Lucerne which was a significant step up for the crew given the calibre of the field there.

James started rowing at the age of 11 at Itchen Rowing Club, following in his father's footsteps.  By the time he was 17 he had won the Junior Sculls Championships for the Hants and Dorset region and was the youngest person to win this.   The following year he trialled for the GB Junior Team and was selected to row in the M4+ at the World Junior Championships in Brandenburg.

In 2006 he took a year out from trialling for any GB teams so that he could work full time for an Insurance Company but continued to row when he could.

In 2007 James decided to trial for the U23 team and also joined Molesey Boat Club.  Unfortunately 3 days before the final trials in Belgium he became injured on the club training camp which put him out for the rest of the season.

In 2008 he gave up his job to focus on his rowing and won the Britainnia Cup at Henley. 

James raced with the senior men's squad in 2009, winning a bronze medal in the eight at the first World Cup in Banyoles, and was placed 8th in the second British men's four in Munich.  He also raced in the men's pair at the 2009 World U23 Championships, where he finished 8th.  

James is Lottery Funded though UK Sport.