Jonny Wilkinson is the legendary England rugby player who led the team to World Cup victory in 2003.
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Johnny married his girlfriend of eight years, Shelley Jenkins, in a private ceremony in Bandol on the French Riviera, near Toulon, on October 21, 2013. The couple now have one son, believed to be named James.
Jonny has been open about the mental struggle he experienced after the World Cup, particularly during his time off the pitch with injury, but his outlook has improved significantly since meeting Shelley.
The pair met in 2005, shortly after Wilkinson ended his relationship with well-known Sky Sports presenter Diana Stewart.
Diana joined Sky in February 2003 and covered a variety of sports including golf, tennis, boxing, football and rugby before taking on her current role as presenter of Sky’s ‘Golf Night’.
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A friend said Wilkinson’s obsession with rugby had a negative impact on his relationships: “It’s the same with all his relationships – rugby got in the way then and it still does now,” he said.
“He’s so passionate about sports that he doesn’t have time for anything else.”
Diana married European Tour golfer Nick Doherty on New Year’s Eve 2010. After splitting with Wilkinson, she also dated Declan Donnelly from Ant and Dec.
England’s 2003 Rugby World Cup heroes look very different now.
Sir Clive Woodward’s England side won their first and so far only William Webb Ellis Trophy in 2003, thanks to a Jonny Wilkinson drop goal in extra time.
Woodward’s team remain the only northern hemisphere team to have won the World Cup, with South Africa (four), New Zealand (three) and Australia (twice) having won the other nine tournaments.
“It’s great to be reunited with the team after 20 years,” Wilkinson, who scored a vital drop goal with 28 seconds to go, said in a video posted to England Rugby’s Instagram account.
“It’s great to meet everyone and see what everyone’s done. But also, I think it’s great to see why we were able to do what we did 20 years ago, because it still lives on in all of us.”
Let’s take a look at where the major players stand today.
Phil Vickery
Former Gloucester and London Wasps prop Phil Vickery announced his retirement at the end of the 2010 Premiership season. A two-time British and Irish Lion, he was a respected opponent around the world and later launched a successful clothing brand called Raging Bull, named after his on-field nickname. Vickery was forced into retirement due to continuing neck injuries and took up the role of scrum coach at Worcester Warriors in 2012.
Vickery has also ventured into sports broadcasting and was part of the commentary team for the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand in 2011. He has also appeared on various TV programmes, including Celebrity Masterchef, which he won in 2011. A perennial Kingsholm Stadium fan, Vickery was appointed Lieutenant of Gloucestershire in 2015.
Jonny Wilkinson
Best known for his iconic drop goal that won Australia the 2003 final, Wilkinson has since retired and turned to coaching with Toulon, focusing on kicking and skills development, and currently works as an ITV Sport commentator for Rugby World Cups and Six Nations.
Will Greenwood
Greenwood continued to excel on the international stage after his 2003 triumph, representing the British and Irish Lions on their tour of New Zealand in 2005. He finished his Harlequins career in 2006 and was soon offering his experienced opinion through analysis and commentary. He co-hosted the television series School of Hard Knocks with former Wales international Scott Quinnell and was an on-screen pundit for ITV during England’s run to the 2007 Rugby World Cup final.
Will is also exploring opportunities outside of rugby and is currently Chief Customer Officer for data and software company Affinity’s London branch. Greenwood’s family was hit by tragedy when his son Freddie died just 45 minutes after he was born. The former England centre undertook an emotional walk to the North Pole in memory of his son, raising more than £750,000 for Bourne research. Greenwood is also Patron of Bourne, a medical research charity working on cases of premature birth, and Child Bereavement UK, a charity that supports parents who have lost a child.