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Jonny Wilkinson Profile |
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Birth Date: May 25, 1979
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Birth Place: Surrey, England, UK
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Birth Name: Jonathan Peter Wilkinson
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Height: 5'10"
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Biography |
Jonathan Peter "Jonny" Wilkinson OBE (born 25 May 1979 in
Frimley, Surrey) is an English rugby union player and member
of the England rugby union team. From 2001-2003, before and
during the 2003 Rugby World Cup, Wilkinson rose to fame for
being one of the world’s best rugby players. He was an
integral member of the 2003 Rugby World Cup winning England
squad, scoring the winning drop goal in the last minute of
extra time against Australia. He plays his club rugby in the
Guinness Premiership for Newcastle Falcons. Wilkinson has
also toured twice with the British and Irish Lions, in 2001
and 2005, scoring 44 Test points in the 5 Lions test matches
he has started.
Due to an unhappy litany of injuries - variously, of the
knee ligaments, arm, shoulder and kidney - he did not appear
again for England after the World Cup until 1,169 days later
in their opening game of the 2007 Six Nations Championship
against Scotland on February 3, 2007. In his comeback
England match, Wilkinson scored 27 points in the game (a
record in the Calcutta Cup) and was awarded Man of the
Match. The following week against Italy, he became the
highest point-scorer in the history of the Five/Six Nations
Championship.
Jonny grew up in Hampshire and developed a love of rugby
early in life, participating in the sport from the age of
just four years old, playing for Farnham RFC. His father,
Phil, had played rugby union and so did Wilkinson, along
with his brother Mark. He started his education at
Pierrepont in Frensham, but it was at Lord Wandsworth
College that he established his reputation. He played along
side England team mate Peter Richards to take Lord
Wandsworth to the semi-final of the Daily Mail national
schools competition in 1996. At school, Wilkinson's sporting
interests extended to cricket and tennis, as well as rugby.
He was a talented opening bowler and batsman for the school
and played for Hampshire schools until rugby demanded much
of his summer time as well. He was Captain of Lord
Wandsworth 1st XI in 1997.
Jonny's first recognition at national level came when he was
16, when he was selected for the England under-16
representative team. He made a name for himself when he was
part of the English under-18s schools tour of Australia in
1997. On this tour he produced 94 points in only five games.
Wilkinson was talent scouted by his school rugby coach, the
Falcons coach Steve Bates. Upon leaving school in the summer
of 1997, he deferred his studies at Durham University for a
year to try full-time rugby union. His first season was such
a success that his studies still remain on-hold ten years
later.
Jonny sporadically writes a column for the Times, often
during periods of high media focus on rugby, such as Six
Nations tournaments and Rugby World Cups. He has also
written three books thus far, with the help of ghostwriter
Neil Squires which have been published by Headline. The
first, "Lions and Falcons: My Diary of a Remarkable Year",
was released in 2001, and followed a turbulent rugby year
for him. The diary documented the England rugby player's
strike, the Newcastle Falcons winning the Powergen Cup, the
2001 Six Nations Championship and the British and Irish
Lions tour at the end of the year. His second, "My World",
was released after England's Rugby World Cup win, in early
2004, and was largely picture-based, with less writing than
in his previous publication. The writing that it did contain
was focussed on his experience of the World Cup, and how his
life had altered following the winning drop goal. Finally,
in 2005, "How To Play Rugby My Way", which accompanied the
BBC series "Jonny's Hotshots", was released. It was largely
a coaching/instruction manual, with tips and techniques for
rugby playing. It also included small insights to Jonny's
family life and the relationships which have allowed his
rugby playing to flourish.
Jonny currently lives in rural Northumberland with his
brother Mark (known as "Sparks") who is 18 months older than
he is. The first house that Jonny and Mark bought in
Northumberland is now inhabited by their parents, Phil and
Phillipa.
The Newcastle Falcons' fitness trainer Steve Black has
become particularly influential on Jonny's rugby career.
Jonny has previously stated that he respects Black (Blackie)
a great deal, and that Blackie taught him a lot about
"values and ethics".
Jonny cites Richard Hill and Mike Catt to be his closest
friends in the England rugby set-up. In 2001, he also
acknowledged his friendships with former hooker Phil
Greening and winger Dan Luger to be similarly strong
friendships.
In his life after rugby, Jonny has stated that he wishes to
get more involved in coaching, especially children and at
"an elite level".
Jonny previously dated the model and actress Di Stewart. She
achieved recognition as a Sky Sports News presenter. He is
currently dating Shelley Jenkins, with whom he was pictured
on lilos in the sea by his family's holiday home in Majorca,
at the 2006 Wimbledon men's final and after the 2007 Six
Nations match against Scotland on February 3rd, 2007. It was
reported that Wilkinson met Jenkins in Spain. |
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Other Information |
Capped a brilliant 2003 for England by kicking the drop goal
that won the World Cup for England, beating great rivals
Australia in Australia on November 22nd 2003.
He was awarded the O.B.E. (Officer of the Order of the
British Empire) in the 2004 Queen's New Years Honours List
for his services to Rugby.
He made his debut for the English rugby team at the age of
18.
Was the 2003 BBC Sports Personality of the Year.
Was the 2003 International Rugby Board (IRB) International
Player of the Year. |
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