Martin Johnson (rugby union) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Martin Johnson
CBE

Martin Johnson (2015)
Birth name	Martin Osborne Johnson
Date of birth	(1970-03-09) 9 March 1970 (age 55)
Place of birth	Solihull, Warwickshire, England
Height	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Weight	18 st 9 lb (119 kg)
Notable relative(s)	Will Johnson (brother)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Lock Senior career Years Team Apps (Points) 1989–2005 Leicester Tigers 362 (90) 1989–1990 King Country 25 (0) 1992 Barbarians 1 (0) National team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) 1987–1988 England U18s 8 (0) 1990 New Zealand U21s 3 (0) 1991 England U21s 1 (0) 1992–2000 England 'A'/'B' 9 (4) 1993–2003 England 84 (10) 1993, 1997, 2001 British & Irish Lions 8 (0) 1994–1999 England XV 4 (0) Teams coached Years Team 2008–2011 England

Martin Osborne Johnson was a famous English rugby union player. He was born on March 9, 1970. He played for and captained both the England team and Leicester club. His career lasted for 16 seasons.

He is most famous for leading England to win the 2003 Rugby World Cup. Many people think he was one of the best "locks" (a position in rugby) ever. He is also considered one of England's greatest rugby players.

Johnson started playing for Leicester Tigers in 1989. In 1993, he played his first game for England. He also joined the 1993 British Lions tour to New Zealand that year. He helped Leicester win the 1993 Pilkington Cup and the 1994-95 Courage League.

In 1995, England won the Grand Slam with Johnson on the team. He was chosen to captain the British Lions tour to South Africa in 1997, which they won. In 2001, he became the first person to captain the Lions team twice. He led them on the 2001 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia.

He became England's captain in 1999. He led the team in 39 matches. This is the third highest number for an England captain. He was captain when England reached the quarter-finals of the 1999 Rugby World Cup. He also led them to win the Grand Slam in the 2003 Six Nations Championship. The biggest win was the 2003 Rugby World Cup. The final game of the 2003 World Cup was his last international match. He played 84 international games in total.

For his club, Leicester, he played 362 games. He captained Leicester to win the 1997 Pilkington Cup. They also won four Premiership titles in a row from 1999 to 2002. Leicester was the first team to win the European Cup twice in a row, in 2001 and 2002. He retired from playing in 2005.

After retiring, he became the England team manager on July 1, 2008. Under his leadership, England won the 2011 Six Nations Championship. This was their first Six Nations title since 2003. He left his role in November 2011 after England's performance in the 2011 Rugby World Cup. He has not managed another team since then.

Early Life and Start in Sports

Martin Johnson was born in Shirley, Solihull. He was the second of three brothers. His younger brother, Will, also played rugby for Leicester. When Martin was seven, his family moved to Market Harborough, Leicestershire. He went to primary and secondary schools there.

Before playing rugby, Johnson even played American football for a short time. He played as a "tight end" or "defensive end" for the Leicester Panthers.

In 1989, a famous former All Black player named Colin Meads asked Johnson to try out for a New Zealand rugby team called King Country. Johnson did well and played two seasons for them. In 1990, he was even chosen for the New Zealand under-21 team. They toured Australia and played against future rugby star John Eales.

Playing Career Highlights

Starting with Leicester

Martin Johnson and Graham Rowntree.

Johnson played his first game for Leicester Tigers on February 14, 1989. This was against the R.A.F. rugby team. His first league game was against Bath, who were champions at the time. Leicester won, stopping Bath from having a perfect season.

He didn't play much for the first team again until 1990 because he was in New Zealand. When he returned, he played against Bath again. Leicester won, which was a big deal because Bath rarely lost cup games at their home ground. A shoulder injury meant Johnson played only 5 games for Leicester in the 1990–91 season.

By late 1991, Johnson became a regular player for Leicester. He and fellow lock Matt Poole played together 129 times. This was a club record for two players in their position.

First Cup Win and England Debut

Johnson became a key player for Leicester. He played every game in the 1992–93 Pilkington Cup. Leicester won the final against Harlequins at Twickenham. Johnson even scored a try in that final game.

He made his first international appearance for England on January 16, 1993. This was against France in the 1993 Five Nations Championship. He was called up at the last minute because another player was injured. He got a concussion early in the game but kept playing. England won a close match. Later that year, he was called up to the 1993 British Lions tour to New Zealand and played in two test matches.

Winning League Titles and Grand Slams

In the 1993–94 season, Leicester reached the cup final again but lost to Bath. They also finished second to Bath in the league.

Johnson won his first of five league titles in 1995. He played in most of Leicester's games that season. He even captained Leicester for the first time on January 14, 1995, when the usual captains were not available.

He played in every game when England won the Grand Slam in 1995. This meant England won all their matches in the Five Nations Championship. Johnson also played in all of England's games at the 1995 Rugby World Cup. They reached the semi-finals but lost to New Zealand.

Professional Rugby and Near Misses

In August 1995, rugby became a professional sport. Johnson signed his first professional contract with Leicester in 1996. It was a five-year deal worth a lot of money. He stopped his job at Midland Bank to focus on rugby.

The 1995–96 season was tough for Leicester. They just missed out on winning the league and lost to Bath in the cup final. The next season, Johnson often captained Leicester when the main captain was injured. He led the team in their first Heineken Cup game. Leicester reached the 1997 Heineken Cup Final but lost to a French team, Brive. However, Johnson did lead Leicester to win the 1997 Pilkington Cup.

Leading the Lions to Victory

Johnson was chosen to captain the 1997 British Lions tour of South Africa. The Lions won the first two test matches, securing the series. The third test was lost, but the tour was a huge success. Johnson was praised for his leadership as captain.

More Club Success

After the successful Lions tour, Johnson officially became Leicester's captain. In the 1998–99 season, Leicester won the Premiership title. Johnson was named the Premiership's Player of the Season.

He missed the start of the 1999–2000 season because of the 1999 Rugby World Cup. He also missed part of the season due to an Achilles tendon injury. But when he returned, he captained Leicester to win the Premiership title again.

European Champion Years

Leicester wanted to win the European title after losing the 1997 final. They were drawn in a tough group for the 2000–01 Heineken Cup. Johnson played in the first four games. On November 9, 2000, Johnson was named one of only three current players in Leicester's Team of the Century.

Leicester won their fourth English league title in a row on March 17, 2001. With the league title secured, Johnson led Leicester into the Heineken Cup semi-finals. They won and played against Stade Francais in the final. Leicester won 34–30, getting their first European title. They also won the Premiership playoffs, completing a rare "treble" (three major titles).

Leicester became the first team to win the European title two years in a row in 2002. Johnson also led Leicester to win their Premiership title again. He captained Leicester to win the final against Munster.

By 2002, Johnson was the third England captain to beat all the "Big Three" Southern Hemisphere teams: Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.

World Cup Glory and Final Seasons

The 2003 international season started with the 2003 Six Nations Championship. Johnson played in four of England's five games. England won the Grand Slam, their first since 1995. This was followed by successful tours to New Zealand and Australia. England beat the All Blacks in New Zealand for the first time since 1973. Johnson famously told his teammates in a scrum to "get down and shove!"

They carried this success into the 2003 Rugby World Cup. England won important matches against South Africa, Wales, and France. They beat Australia in the final with a drop goal in extra time, winning the World Cup!

Johnson continued to play for Leicester until 2005. Leicester had some struggles after their big wins in 2002. Johnson announced that the 2004–05 season would be his last. Leicester reached the 2005 Premiership Final but lost.

Awards and Recognition

Johnson received the Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1997. This was after he successfully captained the 1997 British Lions tour to South Africa.

After the 2003 Rugby World Cup victory, he was given an even higher award, the Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2004. He also came second in the BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards.

His farewell match, held at Twickenham on June 4, 2005, was a huge event. It was special because it marked the return of All Blacks legend Jonah Lomu after a kidney transplant. Johnson's team won the match.

On October 24, 2011, Johnson was added to the IRB Hall of Fame. This honor is given to important people in rugby history.

England Team Manager

In April 2008, Johnson was appointed England team manager. His first games as manager were in the 2008 Autumn internationals. England beat the Pacific Islanders but lost to Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand.

In the 2009 Six Nations Championship, England won three games but lost two. In the 2010 Six Nations, England won their first two games but then lost, drew, and lost again, missing out on the Grand Slam.

In 2011, Johnson led a new England team to win the 2011 Six Nations Championship title. They won against Wales, Italy, France, and Scotland. However, a loss to Ireland on the final weekend stopped them from winning the Grand Slam. He stepped down from his role on November 16, 2011, after England's performance at the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

Personal Life

Martin Johnson comes from a family that loves sports. His great-grandfather was a wrestler. His brother, Will, also played over 200 games for Leicester, often alongside Martin.

He wrote his autobiography, a book about his life, in December 2003. Johnson is a big fan of American football. He supports the San Francisco 49ers. He has also worked as a TV analyst for rugby and American football games.

Honours

As a player

Leicester

• Premiership (5): 1994–95, 1998–99, 1999-2000, 2000–01, 2001–02
• Heineken Cup (2): 2001, 2002
• Pilkington Cup (2): 1993, 1997

England

• Six Nations Championship:
  • Winner (5): 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2003
• Grand Slam:
  • Winner (2): 1995, 2003
• Triple Crown:
  • Winner (6): 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2003
• World Cup:
  • Winner (1): 2003

Lions

• New Zealand tour 1993 as replacement, losing 2–1
• South African tour 1997 as captain, winning 2–1
• Australia tour 2001 as captain, losing 2–1

As a manager

England

• Six Nations
  • Winners: 2011
  • Runners-up: 2009
• Calcutta Cup
  • Winners: 2009, 2010, 2011
• Cook Cup
  • Winners: 2010

Images for kids

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  Martin Johnson and Graham Rowntree.

See also

In Spanish: Martin Johnson (rugbista) para niños