📍Farnham, Surrey, UK
1979 – 1997“Jonny Wilkinson grew up in Frimley and Farnham, in Surrey, in a family that loved sport. His father, Phil, had played rugby and cricket, and his mother, Philippa, played squash at county level. When Jonny was four, his father took him and his brother, Mark, to the mini-rugby section of Farnham Rugby Club on Sunday mornings, and the club, with its muddy pitches and volunteer coaches, became the centre of their week. Jonny was small, intense and determined. He played cricket, tennis and football, but rugby took hold, and he began practising kicking for hours on his own, at the club and in local parks, repeating every routine until it was perfect. He went to Lord Wandsworth College near Hook, a boarding school with a strong rugby tradition, where coaches recognised both his talent and his perfectionism. He has spoken honestly about how that drive could become anxiety, and about learning, much later, to find peace with it. After school he joined Newcastle Falcons instead of taking up a university place, working with the coaches Steve Black and Dave Alred, and at eighteen he made his England debut. In 2003, in the last minute of extra time in the Rugby World Cup final in Sydney, he kicked the drop goal that won the trophy for England. He later played for Toulon and has become a thoughtful speaker about wellbeing in sport. It all began on those Sunday mornings at Farnham Rugby Club.”
🗺️ Approximate location today
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