Jonny Wilkinson

Jonny Wilkinson is a true legend of English rugby. Famed for his World Cup-winning drop goal, the fly-half is also widely regarded as one of the best players of all time. 

Born in Surrey on 25th May 1979, he initially played youth rugby for Farnham Rugby Club. In 1997, he joined Newcastle Falcons and started his professional career, originally playing as an inside centre. 

In his first season, he helped the side win a Premiership title. However, Newcastle didn’t win this title again in his 12 years at the club.  

In May 2009 he joined French side Toulon, initially on a two-year contract. He went on to win the Heineken Cup twice as well as the French Top 14 in the 2013-14 season. He then retired from the sport. 

Jonny Wilkinson enjoyed a stellar domestic career but he’s best remembered for his performances on the international stage. He made his debut for England aged just 18 and then earned a call up for the 1999 World Cup squad.

His first honour as a player came the following year in 2000, when England won the Six Nations. In the match against Italy, Wilkinson notched a then-record 35 points. He would go on to win the Six Nations another three times, in 2001, 2003 and 2011. 

2003 would prove to be Wilkinson’s best year in an England shirt. He captained his country against Italy and England won the Six Nations Grand Slam to start the year. Then, in the 2003 Rugby World Cup final, he scored a drop goal in the final 20 seconds of extra time to secure victory for his country. Wilkinson also earned a Man-of-the-Match award and finished as the tournament’s highest points scorer.

While this level of success was never replicated again, he was part of the team that made it to the 2007 World Cup final against South Africa and despite an injury ruling him out of the first few games, he still played a pivotal role in the side’s progression.

In total he was capped 91 times for his country and made over 350 appearances at club level. In addition, Wilkinson also toured twice with the British & Irish Lions, winning a total of six caps. His first experience was the 2001 tour to Australia, where he ended up as the top test scorer. On the 2005 tour to New Zealand, he again played in all three tests.

Wilkinson retired from international rugby in 2011 and from domestic rugby in 2014. He has stayed connected to the game and often works as a pundit.