1. Jonny Wilkinson (England)
Bio: Jonny Wilkinson, born in 1979 in Frimley, England, is one of rugby’s greatest fly-halves. Best known for his 2003 World Cup-winning drop goal, Wilkinson scored 1,246 points in 97 international appearances for England and the British & Irish Lions. Renowned for his precision kicking and dedication, he remains a benchmark for professionalism in rugby.
Williams on Wilkinson:
“I’m lucky enough to say I’ve played with Jonny Wilkinson and have seen the commitment that he had. When I played with him, he was pretty much at the height of his powers, but the way he dedicated himself to his craft was unbelievable and I learned a lot from him.”
“Playing with Jonny in my second season at Toulon gave me a lot of confidence and helped me believe I could play international rugby. That was one of the reasons I wanted to go back home and try and prove to people and myself that I could play.”
“I couldn’t have dreamt of all the help that Jonny gave me. I came to France carrying a lot of doubt, but his guidance really gave me that kickstart of believing in myself as a rugby player.”
“You can’t get complacent. As soon as you start thinking you’re in the team or the squad and you’re going to get picked every time, you take your foot off the pedal.”
Fun fact: Jonny’s brother, Mark Wilkinson, also played professionally for Newcastle, making 16 Premiership appearances predominantly as a centre between 2002 and 2005.
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