Alastair James Hignell (born Ely 4 September 1955) was an English cricketer and rugby player.

Alastair Hignell was the son of a former Gloucestershire cricketer. He was a throwback to an earlier era when multi-talented sportsmen excel in more than one field. He won blues at Cambridge at both rugby and cricket, and by the time he graduated from university in 1977 he had already made several England appearances at full-back. He made his England debut in 1975 in a brutal encounter with Australia in Brisbane - eight days later he was playing for Gloucestershire against Middlesex at Bristol and five weeks later he made 60 in the Varsity match.

After leaving university, he continued playing rugby for Bristol and England in the winter, while also working as a teacher, and cricket for Gloucestershire in the summer. As a right-handed batsman, he scored solidly rather than spectacularly, passing 1,000 runs in a season three times, including his final season in 1983, before his retirement. He won the last of his 14 England rugby caps in 1978-79.

Hignell continued to teach until he moved into journalism full time and he became a respected reporter, as well as working extensively on BBC Radio. In 2000, he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and has since been an active fundraiser.