Jonny’s love for rugby began 16 years ago at the age of 4. His father, Phil, played rugby from the age of 18 to 40. Mark, his older brother by 18 months followed in his father's footsteps by also playing. Mark has now taken the position of fitness trainer at the club with guidance from Steve Black the former Newcastle trainer now at Wales. Educated at Pierrepont, Frensham and Lord Wandsworth College, Hampshire, before his rugby career began he had played both cricket and tennis for Hampshire Schools. England rugby selectors had seen him as part of the English 18s Schools tour of Australia in 1997 where he clocked up a massive 94 points in only 5 games.

After being discovered by Steve Bates, one of his teachers at the time, he was brought up North where he signed a two year contract with Newcastle after turning down a place at Durham University. Already identified as Rob Andrew’s future fly half successor, Jonny played a small but influential part of Newcastle’s 1997/8 championship winning season.

After only 58 minutes of senior club rugby, he was called up to the England first team squad as a bench replacement against Scotland at Murrayfield.

Wilkinson, virtually unknown to anybody outside the North East, made his England debut v’s Ireland as a replacement for Mike Catt in the 79^th minute of the game, making him the England's youngest player this century although with only one touch of the ball after collecting a high kick. Three men behind me in the stands were complaining that he couldn’t be a good player as they hadn’t heard him before, to which I was forced to turn around and inform them that this was someone they would hear a lot about in the future.

Despite his inexperience he was chosen for the 1998 England summer tour from hell in Australia, a disaster for many players including a psychological blow for Jonny.

Newcastle soon had him back on his feet as their first choice no.10 and kicker in the 1998/9 season.

Jonny was called up again to the England team for the Five Nations match against Scotland on the 20th February 1999. The championship was a complete success for Jonny. Will Greenwood's injury gave Jonny the opportunity to play at centre and also kick at goal. In the first three matches he had kicked 16 out of 17 attempts including scoring all of England's points against Ireland with seven penalties, equalling the record previously held by Simon Hodgskinson and the one and only Rob Andrew. He also proved himself to be an devastating tackler with the fire power of Va'aiga Tuigamala and the precise timing of Alan Tait, not to mention his Gary Armstrong like breaks.

Before England's last game against Wales news came through of an injury to Paul Grayson which opened up the England no.10 position. With Will Greenwood recovering it seemed inevitable that Clive Woodward should try him at fly half.

After the Five Nations Jonny was called up to the England squad to tour Australia where he played in both the warm up against Queensland and the Centenary test at no.10. Remembering the last time he played in Australia on "the tour from hell" we all cringed at the thought of what must have been going through Jonny's mind when he placed the ball to kick at goal once again. But of course the ball sailed between the posts.

It was his dream to make the England team in time for the 2003 World Cup but it seems certain that his dream will become reality four years early in October of this year. On the 31st of August 1999, Jonny was announced as part of the England World Cup 30 squad.

The 30 man squad saw him playing warm up matches against the USA and Canada, putting over 100 points past the USA, Jonny converting 13 of the 16 conversions to be kicked.

The World Cup arrived and on the 2nd October 1999 Jonny pulled on the England jersey for the 11th time. In an amazing performance Jonny scored 1 try, 6 conversions and 5 penalties, a massive 32 points in England's 67-8 massacre of Italy at Twickenham.

His first International try came in the 52 minute of the game when Austin Healey kicked the ball over the try line, Jonny as a support runner was in the right place to be able to dive upon the ball, only to get to his feet looking elated but stunned.

His final tally for the World Cup was 63 points, made up of 1 try, 10 penalties and 14 conversions.

[v's Italy 32 points - see above; v's New Zealand 11 points (3 penalties + 1 conversion) ; v's Fiji 17 points (1 penalty + 7 conversions); v's South Africa (as substitute) 3 points (1 penalty).

Jonny was then deservedly chosen by Clive Woodward to start every match in England's championship winning team in the inaugural 2000 Six Nations Campaign. In addition to setting a new championship points tally he not only cemented his position as England's Premier fly half but also as probably the hardest tackling number 10 in the world. One tackle on France's Ntamack at the end of the first half in Paris, is destined to be repeated with as greater frequency as Micky Skinner's crunching tackle in the same fixture a decade previously. This was good but the greatest honour has got to be his earning of the respect of the legendary commentator Bill MacLaren who described Jonny as having "the build of a middle weight boxer".

Jonny has a well earned reputation as being a hard trainer. At Kingston Park Jonny is always the first one out on the training field and the last one off. He can often be seen out alone practising his place kicking.