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 reporter for ITV Sport, 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.

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 being signed by French club Toulon in 2009, where he stayed until his retirement at the end of the 2013-14 season.   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. During the 2011 Six Nations Championship, he attained the test rugby record for all-time leading points scorer.  In 2008 Jonny 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, and was 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 has published 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. 

In recognition for his services to Rugby Union, 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 founded the Jonny Wilkinson Charitable Foundation in 2015 to provide research, awareness and assistance through online support, seminars and workshops. The charity has a particular interest in health and wellbeing, environmental conservation, disability, animal protection and public charity. As an advocate for mental health, Jonny collaborated with Vitality and was named an official ambassador in 2019.

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.