Jonny Wilkinson facts for kids

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Jonny Wilkinson
CBE

Wilkinson in September 2015

Birth name

Jonathan Peter Wilkinson

Date of birth

25 May 1979 (age 46)

Place of birth

Frimley, England

Height

5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)

Weight

196 lb; 14 st 0 lb (89 kg)

School

Lord Wandsworth College

Rugby union career

Amateur team(s)
Position(s)	Fly-half
Years	Team	Apps	(Points)
Senior career
Years	Team	Apps	(Points)
1997–2009	Newcastle Falcons	182	(2,049)
2009–2014	Toulon	141	(1,884)
1997–2014	Total	323	(3,933)
National team(s)
Years	Team	Apps	(Points)
1998–2011	England	91	(1,179)
2001, 2005	British & Irish Lions	6	(67)

Official website

http://www.jonnywilkinson.com

Jonathan Peter Wilkinson (born 25 May 1979) is a famous English former rugby union player. He was a fly-half, which is like the quarterback of a rugby team. Jonny played for the Newcastle Falcons in England and Toulon in France. He also played for the England national team and the British & Irish Lions.

Jonny is most famous for scoring the winning drop goal in the very last moments of the 2003 Rugby World Cup Final. This amazing kick helped England win the World Cup! Many people consider him one of the greatest rugby players ever. He played club rugby for 12 seasons with the Newcastle Falcons. In 2009, he moved to France to play for Toulon. There, he helped his team win two Heineken Cups and one French championship. He scored the most points for both clubs he played for.

Wilkinson played 91 games for England. He was a key player when England won the 2003 World Cup. He even came back from many injuries to play in the 2007 World Cup final. He also toured twice with the British & Irish Lions team. He retired from rugby at the end of the 2013–14 season. In 2016, he was added to the World Rugby Hall of Fame. Today, Jonny works as a TV expert for rugby games.

Early Life and Rugby Beginnings

Jonny Wilkinson was born on 25 May 1979 in Frimley, England. He grew up in Farnham. He went to Pierrepont School, Frensham and Lord Wandsworth College. As a young player, he played for Farnham Rugby Club.

He was accepted into the University of Durham. However, in 1997, he decided to become a professional rugby player instead. He joined the Newcastle Falcons team.

Jonny's Professional Rugby Career

Starting Strong: 1998–2000

Wilkinson playing for Newcastle

Jonny started his career at Newcastle as an inside centre. He soon became a regular player for the team. They even won the English Premiership title in 1998. By March 1998, he was part of the England national team. He made his international debut on 4 April 1998, playing on the wing against Ireland. He was only 18 years old!

He then played in England's tough "Tour of Hell" in June 1998. After that, he became the main fly-half and goal kicker for Newcastle. He also became a regular player for England. He played in all their matches in the 1999 Five Nations Championship.

As the 1999 Rugby World Cup got closer, Jonny played in more games for England. He made his World Cup debut against Italy. In that game, he scored an amazing 32 points! England won that match 67–7. England was later knocked out of the tournament by South Africa.

In 2000, Jonny played in all five of England's 2000 Six Nations Championship matches. England won the championship that year. He then toured South Africa with England, scoring all the points in their 27–22 win.

Success and Challenges: 2001–2002

Wilkinson kicking for Newcastle

In 2001, England won the Six Nations Championship again. Jonny set a new record by scoring 35 points against Italy. This was the most points ever scored by one player in a Six Nations game!

Jonny also had success with his club, Newcastle. They won the Powergen Cup in 2001. Because of his great performance, Jonny was chosen as the main fly-half for the 2001 British Lions tour to Australia. The Lions won the first game against Australia. However, in the second game, Jonny got injured. He recovered quickly and played in the final game, scoring 18 points.

In November 2001, Jonny scored all of England's points in their 21–15 win over Australia. He also helped England beat South Africa 29–9. In the 2002 Six Nations Championship, England won most of their games but lost to France.

In November 2002, England played against the top three rugby nations from the Southern Hemisphere: New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa. Jonny played a huge part in England's win over New Zealand. He scored a try and kicked many points. England then beat Australia by one point, 32–31. In the final game, England defeated South Africa 53–3. Jonny was injured in this very physical match.

World Cup Glory: 2003

The 2003 Six Nations Championship started with a big game between France and England. England won 25–17. England then beat Wales, Italy, and Scotland. For the game against Italy, Jonny was chosen as captain for the first time. The final match was against Ireland. England won 42–6, becoming the 2003 champions. Jonny was named the best player of the match.

After the Six Nations, England toured the Southern Hemisphere. On 14 June, Jonny scored all 15 points as England beat New Zealand 15–13. A week later, England beat Australia 25–14. This was England's first win ever on Australian soil! With these wins, England became a top favorite for the 2003 Rugby World Cup.

England's first World Cup game was against Georgia. England won 84–6, with Jonny scoring 16 points. He also scored 20 points in England's 25–6 win over South Africa. England finished first in their group.

In the quarter-finals, England played Wales. Jonny scored 23 points, helping England win 28–17. England then met France in the semi-finals. England won 24–7, with Jonny scoring all of England's points.

The final was against Australia. The score was tied 17-17 in extra time. With only 26 seconds left, Jonny received a pass and kicked a drop goal. England won 20–17! This was England's first ever Rugby World Cup win. Jonny was the top point scorer of the tournament with 113 points. He was named the BBC Sports Personality of the Year and the IRB International Player of the Year.

Injuries and Comebacks: 2004–2007

Wilkinson training before a Six Nations match

After winning the World Cup, Jonny faced many injuries. He missed the 2004 Six Nations Championship and other games. He was named England captain in October 2004, but injuries kept him from playing. In January 2005, he injured his knee. He missed many games and had surgery for a hernia.

Despite his injuries, Jonny was chosen for the 2005 British & Irish Lions tour to New Zealand. He played his first international game since the World Cup final against Argentina. He scored 19 points, helping the Lions draw 25–25. He played in the first two test matches against New Zealand but got another injury.

In 2006, Jonny continued to recover. He returned to play for Newcastle. In 2007, he was selected for England's 2007 Six Nations Championship opener against Scotland. England won 42–20, and Jonny scored an amazing 27 points! This broke a record for the most points in a Calcutta Cup game. He was named Man of the Match.

Wilkinson performing his familiar pre kick ritual

In the next game against Italy, Jonny scored 15 points. This made him the highest individual point scorer in the history of the Five/Six Nations. He continued to face injuries but made the England squad for the summer tour. He played well in a warm-up game against Wales, scoring 17 points.

2007 Rugby World Cup Final

Wax figure of Jonny Wilkinson in Trafalgar Square in London before the 2007 Rugby World Cup Final in Paris

Jonny missed the first two games of the 2007 Rugby World Cup due to an ankle injury. He returned to score 24 points in a win over Samoa. He helped England reach the quarter-finals. In England's 12–10 win against Australia, he scored all of England's points. This made him the Rugby World Cup's leading point scorer ever! He then helped England beat France 14–9 in the semi-finals.

In the 2007 Rugby World Cup Final against South Africa, Jonny kicked two penalties. England lost the game, but Jonny was one of only four players to start both the 2003 and 2007 World Cup Finals.

Later International Career: 2008–2011

Wilkinson passing to his backline in training

Jonny started the 2008 Six Nations Championship as England's fly-half. He scored 27 points in wins against Italy and France. He finished the tournament as the top point scorer with 50 points.

In September 2008, Jonny suffered another injury, a dislocated knee. This kept him out for the rest of the 2008-09 season. In May 2009, he left the Newcastle Falcons after 12 years to join the French team Toulon.

Jonny made a successful return to international rugby in November 2009 after 18 months away. He played against Australia, Argentina, and New Zealand. He was one of England's most consistent players.

Wilkinson playing for Toulon

Due to many injuries, Jonny's international career was often interrupted. However, he made a great comeback in the 2007 Six Nations Championship, scoring a record 27 points against Scotland. He also became the highest point-scorer in the history of the Six Nations.

In a 2008 Six Nations match, Jonny became the first English player to score 1,000 Test points. He also holds the world record for the most drop goals in international rugby, with 36. In March 2008, he became the highest international point-scorer overall.

In July 2009, he was called back to the England squad. He helped England win against Australia in 2010. He briefly lost his record as the all-time leading points scorer to Dan Carter but reclaimed it in the 2011 Six Nations Championship. He lost it again in July 2011. On 12 December 2011, he announced his retirement from international rugby.

Playing for Toulon: 2009–2014

In May 2009, Jonny joined the French club Toulon. He signed a two-year contract.

In April 2013, Jonny played a full game in Toulon's Heineken Cup Quarter-Final. He scored all 21 points against Leicester Tigers. He then kicked 7 penalties and a drop goal to help Toulon beat Saracens.

In May 2013, he scored 11 points as Toulon won the 2013 Heineken Cup Final 16–15 against Clermont Auvergne. Jonny was named the best European player of the year for the tournament. He didn't miss a single kick in the knockout stages!

On 24 May 2014, he led Toulon to a big 23–6 win against Saracens in the 2014 Heineken Cup Final. He scored 13 points in that game. One week later, on 31 May 2014, he led Toulon to another win in the Top 14 Final against Castres. Toulon won 18–10, and Jonny kicked 15 points. This was the very last match of his career. After the game, fans from both teams sang "God Save the Queen" to honor him.

Jonny was a great leader for Toulon. He was known for working harder than anyone else and being very humble. Even with many superstar players, Jonny was in charge. He would speak to the team in perfect French and then repeat it in English.

Retirement

In May 2014, Jonny Wilkinson announced that he would retire from all rugby at the end of the season.

Jonny's International Records

Wilkinson at Twickenham

England won 67 of the 91 games Jonny Wilkinson played in. He scored a record 29th Test drop goal against France in the 2008 Six Nations Championship.

On 26 February 2011, Jonny regained the record for the highest total of International points. He passed Dan Carter of New Zealand. Carter later took the record back. Jonny also holds the Rugby World Cup points record with 277 points. He is the only player to score points in two Rugby World Cup Finals.

As of 2015, Jonny Wilkinson had made more tackles in World Cups than any other back (a type of player).

Awards and Honors

In 2002, Jonny Wilkinson was given the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) award. In 2004, he was promoted to Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). In 2015, he was promoted again to Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his services to Rugby Union.

In 2009, he received an honorary doctorate from the University of Surrey for his contributions to sports. On 17 November 2016, he was inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame.

Team Honors

Newcastle Falcons

Premiership: 1997–98
Powergen Cup: 2001, 2004

Toulon

Heineken Cup: 2012–13, 2013–14
Top 14: 2013–14

England

Six Nations Championship:
- Winner (4): 2000, 2001, 2003, 2011
Grand Slam:
- Winner (1): 2003
Triple Crown:
- Winner (3): 1998, 2002, 2003
World Cup:
- Winner (1): 2003

International Tries

Jonny Wilkinson's International Tries
Try	Opponent	City/Country	Venue	Competition	Year
[1]	Italy	London, England	Twickenham	Rugby World Cup	1999
[2]	Italy	London, England	Twickenham	Six Nations	2001
[3]*	Australia	Sydney, Australia	Stadium Australia	Test match	2001
[4]	Ireland	London, England	Twickenham	Six Nations	2002
[5]	Wales	London, England	Twickenham	Six Nations	2002
[6]	New Zealand	London, England	Twickenham	Test match	2002
[7]	Scotland	London, England	Twickenham	Six Nations	2007
*Try number three was scored while playing for the British & Irish Lions

Life Outside Rugby

Books and TV Work

Jonny Wilkinson has written five books about his rugby career and life. His first book, Lions and Falcons, was published in 2001. It shared his experiences during a busy rugby year. After the 2003 World Cup win, he released My World, which focused on that amazing victory.

He also wrote How to Play Rugby My Way, which was a coaching guide. His book Tackling Life talked about how he dealt with his many injuries. His autobiography, Jonny, came out in 2011.

Since retiring, Jonny has become a TV expert for rugby games. You can see him on Sky Sports and ITV Sport, talking about the Champions Cup, Six Nations Championship, and Rugby World Cup.

Coaches and Mentors

Steve Black, the Newcastle Falcons' fitness trainer, was very important to Jonny's career. Jonny said that Steve taught him a lot about "values and ethics." Jonny also worked with a special kicking coach named Dave Alred.

Mental Strength

Jonny has always been open about how he managed the pressure of being a top athlete. He used Buddhist ideas to help him control his desire to be perfect. He tries to live mindfully and connect with others.

Family and Personal Life

Jonny's older brother, Mark, also played rugby for Newcastle. His father, Phil, played rugby and cricket, and his mother, Philippa, played squash.

In October 2013, Jonny married his girlfriend, Shelley Jenkins, in France.

Businesses

In 2011, Jonny launched Fineside, a men's fashion brand. In 2018, he started a kombucha company called No.1 Living. He began brewing kombucha at home with his wife and found it helpful for a healthy diet.

Jonny is known for usually avoiding certain drinks, but he made an exception after England lost the 2007 Rugby World Cup Final. He also tries to eat natural foods.

More Awards

In December 2005, Jonny received another honorary doctorate from Northumbria University. He was the BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2003. He was also named the IRB International Player of the Year in 2003 and the ERC European Player of the Year in 2013.