James McRae grew up in South Australia’s Murray Bridge and started his international career competing with Matt Bolt in the double scull at the 2005 Junior World Championships. McRae worked his way up the ranks and was selected for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games in the quad scull. The crew broke the world record in the heats but then went on to finish fourth in the final. McRae won a bronze medal in the quad sculls at the 2010 World Championships before becoming a World Champion in 2011, with the crew that he would go on to compete with at the London 2012 Olympic Games. In London, McRae, Daniel Noonan, Karsten Forsterling and Chris Morgan were fourth at the half way mark but had a strong finish to claim bronze. McRae started competing in the double sculls in 2014, taking two World Cup medals and bronze at the World Championships. In 2016, McRae was named in the Men's Quadruple Sculls.