Jonny Wilkinson

Biography

If they could bottle coolness under pressure and sell it, they’d probably call it Jonny Wilkinson. Whether it’s as a celebrity sports speaker, or as a keynote speaker, few can deliver the goods with such first-hand knowledge of what it means to keep your composure, when the sporting stakes are at their very highest.

Born in Surrey in May 1979 Wilkinson is widely acknowledged as one of the finest rugby union players of all time and his years as a player with Newcastle Falcons, Toulon, England and the British Lions are garlanded with trophies and plaudits.

These include 91 caps for England and six for the British Lions, scoring 1,246 points. He was part of the England team that won one World Cup and four Six Nations championships including one Grand Slam. After retiring in 2014 he has worked as an incisive studio pundit for ITV Sport’s rugby coverage. You won’t be surprised to learn that he is a World Rugby Hall of Famer.

But his career has been defined by that one remarkable moment in England’s triumph at the 2003 Rugby World Cup in Australia. The final against the host nation on November 22nd had been a titanic battle. As England’s playmaker in the fly-half position, the ball flew into Wilkinson’s hands with just 21 seconds of extra time to go. With the scores level it was down to him and him alone in that split-second to decide the destiny of England’s ambitions. 80-thousand baying fans in the stadium in Sydney, millions watching round the world, all hanging on that one instant: you need to be as tough as teak with nerves of steel to come through a moment like that. Fortunately for England, Jonny Wilkinson has exactly those qualities, and his drop-kick sailed between the posts for the winning points.

Jonny Wilkinson understands what it takes to turn motivation into achievement, and he would bring a unique, unforgettable perspective as a keynote and motivational speaker at your event.