How Jonny Wilkinson Became France's Favourite Englishman
His crucial role in winning the World Cup ensured his place in British sporting legend. But how come 'Sir Jonny' is so popular across the Channel?
A version of this article appeared in The New European.
Between 1998 and 2011, Jonny Wilkinson played 91 times for England. During that time, the fly-half scored 1,179 points, a record for a European player. He also marshalled the national side to four Six Nations victories, including one Grand Slam, and a brace of World Cup finals, the first of which saw him land that drop-goal. The same year, 2003, Wilkinson was named IRB International Player Of The Year and BBC Sports Personality Of The Year. The prodigiously gifted number 10 also played six tests for the British and Irish Lions, amassing 67 points, a record for the side. All this and he won the Premiership and the Powergen Cup with Newcastle Falcons.
None of which explains why the humble chap from Frimley, Surrey, has been one of the very small number of British sportsman to be embraced by France. To understand this phenomenon one must first rewind to 2009 when Jonathan Peter Wilkinson was at a career crossroads. Having spent most of the previous six years injured, you could understand why the Falcons decided not to renew his contract. After 12 years in the north-east, the question was where next for the talented fly-half with the best foot in the game and an approach to tackling that was so tough, it forever altered what was expected of No. 10s defensively?
As he writes in his autobiography, Wilkinson fielded offers from former England team-mates Mike Catt and Richard Hill to join London Irish and Saracens respectively. Welcome though these approaches might have been, Jonny was keen to avoid any situation that might see him have to take the field against his old side. A huge rugby league fan, he was also made up when Wigan Warriors asked him to sign a short-term summer contract only to turn down the offer, fearful that past injuries and his lack of experience might leave him floundering.
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