Jonny Wilkinson Keynote Speaker

Jonny Wilkinson, CBE, is a former rugby union player, writer and sports presenter with an impressive national and international rugby career spanning over ten years and four Rugby World Cups. As a Hall of Famer, World Cup hero, philanthropist, sports personality and multiple record holder, Jonny is a popular speaker at conferences.

As a pundit for ITV and Sky Sports, Jonny continues to cover sports events as a rugby expert. He covers various rugby events and games, including the Rugby World Cup and the Six Nations Championship.  In 2018, he founded No 1 Living, a health drink brand.

Jonny is widely considered one of the most successful English rugby players to date. During his impressive career, he he established himself as the world’s leading fly-half, was inducted into the World Rugby hall of fame, named IRB player of the year and won 91 caps for England and six for the British & Irish Lions.

He spent 12 years with Newcastle Falcons, before moving to French club Toulon from 2009 until 2014, when he retired.  While signed to Toulon, Jonny won the ERC European Player of the Year 2013 and was instrumental in the club’s victories in the 2012-14 European Rugby Champions Cup (Heineken Cup) and the 2013-14 France Top 14.

Jonny broke several rugby records throughout his career. He attained the test rugby record for all-time leading points scorer, set the international rugby “drop goal scorer” world record, and became the highest international point-scorer. He reached over 1000 career Test points for England – the first English player (and third overall) to accomplish this. He was the highest point scorer in the 2007 Rugby World Cup, and completed a ‘full house’ (scoring a try, penalty, conversion and drop goal in the same match) in the Calcutta Cup 2007.

Jonny is the author of five books: Jonny: My Autobiography (2011), Tackling Life (2008), How To Play Rugby My Way (2005), My World (2004) and Lions and Falcons: My Diary of a Remarkable Year (2001).  He was also an occasional rugby columnist for The Times. 

Jonny was appointed MBE (2002), OBE (2004) and later, CBE (2015).  He was inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame in 2016. In 2003, he was named Sports Personality of the Year by the BBC and International Player of the Year by the International Rugby Board (IRB).  Jonny was presented a Civil Law honorary doctorate by Northumbria University in 2005 and an honorary doctorate for services to the sports industry by the University of Surrey in 2009.

He hosts the I AM podcast series, where he speaks to thought leaders and inspiring individuals from all over the world, inviting them to share stories about the difficulties they have faced and overcome, and encouraging self-investigation and self-awareness as tools to unlock your potential.

Jonny has been a long-standing advocate for mental health and wellbeing.  He founded the Jonny Wilkinson Charitable Foundation in 2015 to provide research, awareness and assistance through online support, seminars and workshops. He was named an official Vitality ambassador in 2019, and recently initiated ‘NSPiRED’, a foundation providing emotional support to teachers and coaches to empower them and the younger generations they work with.

Jonny will forever be celebrated as the man who kicked the England squad into Rugby World Cup history in 2003. He has received much recognition for his contributions to the sports industry and is a highly knowledgeable and respected speaker who adds incredible value to speaking conferences.