It is official and there is no doubt whatsoever. On November 22, 2003, the people of Britain got themselves a new sports superstar. David Beckham had decamped to Spain earlier in the year, leaving the position of golden god of British sport open for a newcomer.
Along came Jonny Wilkinson (pictured right) and a mighty cheer resounded from one end of the United Kingdom to the other as his drop goal sailed between the posts in the last minute of extra time to give England the Rugby World Cup against Australia. That was the moment that Wilkinson stopped being a mere rugby player and became a national hero who had achieved sporting heights that Beckham only dreams of. He is devastatingly handsome and amazingly talented. They are already calling him the new Beckham, but England's Rugby World Cup hero will be very apprehensive when he reads the newspaper headlines about his new national status.
Wilkinson is a shy superstar who hates the limelight. He is a normal, down-to-earth person who just happens to be a rugby-playing genius. The game of rugby takes second place to football in the UK, but after the recent questionable performances of some of England's soccer stars, now is the time for rugby to assume a much higher profile.
He is cautious about the attention he is getting. He is a professional rugby player and turning up at movie premieres and appearing in the pages of fashion magazines is not his style. After the amazing England victory in the World Cup final, all he wanted to do was get back to his family and continue with his training.
Wilkinson was born in the county of Surrey in the south of England in 1979. Both his elder brother and his father were rugby players. Wilkinson first kicked a rugby ball when he was four. He played cricket, rugby and tennis at school and earned a place in the England 18s Schools rugby team. On the 1997 tour of Australia, Wilkinson scored an amazing 94 points in just five matches.
All eyes in the professional rugby world were now on Wilkinson. After achieving three A-levels at school, he turned down a place at university and signed a contract with Newcastle Rugby Club. He was soon called up for the England team and made his debut in a match against Ireland when he became the squad's youngest-ever player.