Rugby legend Jonny Wilkinson is set to join a new England coaching staff for the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
The 43-year-old has set new standards in terms of dedication over his career with an almost obsessive pursuit of perfection.
His finest hour, of course, came in 2003, when he scored the drop goal that won the World Cup.
RUCK understands Wilkinson is now set to join Borthwick men over the summer on a short-term deal to work with Owen Farrell and Marcus Smith as a specialist kicking coach .
The RFU faced competition from France, who were linked with a move for Wilkinson in August ahead of their home World Cup next September.
Wilkinson, who worked with England on their run to the showpiece final of 2019, is respected across the Channel with Toulon, and already has a solid command of the language.
He is believed to have become the second Englishman in the Blues coaching staff after highly regarded defensive maestro Shaun Edwards joined on a long-term contract with Wales.
Facts about Jonny Wilkinson:
- Wilkinson’s brother Mark was also a Newcastle player who made 16 Premiership appearances for the team between 2002 and 2005, mostly as a centre. His father, Phil, was a rugby player and cricketer, and his mother, Philippa, played squash at county level. His grandfather, Phil, also played football for Norwich.
- When former England center Jeremy Guscott walked into the dressing room on the day of Wilkinson’s international debut, he thought the 18-year-old had won a competition to spend the day with the national team.
- Wilkinson followed Buddhist principles and teachings to help control his perfectionist tendencies, according to an interview he gave with The temperature newspaper in 2009.
- Jonny and Shelley became first-time parents in late 2018. They keep their private lives pretty much on lockdown, but according to reports, they had a baby boy called James while still living in France.
- Wilkinson is currently a studio pundit for ITV Sport, working on their coverage of the Six Nations Championship, Rugby World Cup and other rugby events.
Jonny Wilkinson has been voted the greatest rugby player in history
England legend Jonny Wilkinson has been voted the best rugby player of all time after a survey of more than 1,000 fans.
The man whose last drop-goal won England the Rugby World Cup beating hosts Australia in 2003.
This moment is just one of the highlights of a record-breaking career that has seen Wilkinson become one of the greatest of all time.
England have won 67 of the 91 games Wilkinson has played with h1im, scoring an outstanding total of 1,179 points. He also holds the Rugby World Cup points record with 277.
Of the fan-voted top 20 players, New Zealand have the most representatives with five, including Dan Carter, Richie McCaw and Zinzan Brooke.
The only player to make the list from the amateur era is Wales’ greatest player, and arguably the greatest scrum-half of all time, Gareth Edwards.
Here is the fan-voted list of the top 20 rugby players of all time:
Greatest rugby player of all time: Top 20
20. Sergio Parisse (Italy)
19. Johnny Sexton (Ireland)
18. Jason Leonard (England)
17. Zinzan Brooke (New Zealand)
16. Sonny Bill Williams (New Zealand)
15. Lawrence Dallaglio (England)
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