If there is one man that understands how to deal with pressure in professional rugby, it is England legend Jonny Wilkinson. His decorated career has been full of high stakes moments, with none bigger than his 2003 Rugby World Cup winning drop goal against the Wallabies. Wilkinson was calm and composed, as he sent the match winning kick through the Sydney uprights, and has recently shared his mantra on dealing with pressure.
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Speaking with Champions Speakers Agency, Jonny Wilkinson says “there is no such thing as pressure”, as he specialises as a mental resilience speaker. Outlining how he lives his life with the pressure aliviated from his shoulders, the former Newcastle Falcon and Toulon man said:
“If something knocks me back, I have to get back up and fight for what I originally decided. Pressure isn’t inherent in the world. There is no such thing as pressure; it’s not real. If I get what I want, it will be amazing, but if I don’t, it will be okay, too, so where is the pressure?
“When you think, ‘what will people think of me if I lose this?’ or ‘I’m letting people down’, that’s where pressure exists. It exists in those ideas; it doesn’t exist in the world.”
Wilkinson also outlined the key ingredients behind team-building and leading a group.
The former England fly half then added: “Start with the simple question: What do you want from your team? Individually and collectively. Starting individually, what do you want from each of those players? The answer is I want them to be at their best. The second question is, do you know what their best is? If your answer is ‘yes,’ then your leadership is gone because if you know someone else’s potential, you’ve already placed a limit on it.
“So, the second answer should be, ‘Of course I don’t; their potential is unknown’. And from that, you have your leadership laid out for you. You have a choice, ‘am I going to try and control these guys or am I going to allow them to be who they can be?’”
“Leadership has got nothing to do with anyone else. The moment people start trying to inspire each other, life goes horribly wrong. The moment people start inspiring themselves, it leads everyone around them.
“Therefore, follow your own passions and reveal the limitless and boundaryless experience of who you are. Within that new space, there’s room for everyone around you to live and be all they can be as well. That’s when you get a real team.”
What England’s 2003 Rugby World Cup heroes look like now, some are very different
Sir Clive Woodward’s England lifted the William Webb Ellis trophy for the first – and so far only – time in 2003, after a Jonny Wilkinson drop goal in extra time.
Woodward’s side are still the only northern hemisphere side to win the World Cup, with the other nine tournaments won by South Africa (four), New Zealand (three) and Australia (two).
In a video posted by England Rugby’s Instagram account, Wilkinson – who scored the all important drop goal 28 seconds from time – said: ‘It’s great being back with all the guys from the squad 20 years on.
‘It’s great to be able to see everyone, and to get a feel of what everyone’s been up to, but also to I guess get a feel for why we were able to do what we did 20 years ago, because it still lives on in everyone.’
Take a look at how some of the key players look now:
Phil Vickery
A former Gloucester and London Wasps prop, Phil Vickery called time on his career at the end of the 2010 Premiership season. The two-time British & Irish Lion was a revered opponent across the world, and has since started a successful clothing brand ‘Raging Bull’, with his on-field nickname. Vickery was forced into retirement due to a series of neck injuries, and in 2012 he joined Worcester Warriors as their Scrum Coach.
Vickery has also tried his hand at sports broadcasting, as he was apart of the commentary team for the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand. His on-screen appearances have also been witnessed across a variety of TV shows, including ‘Celebrity MasterChef’, which he won in 2011. An eternal fan favourite at Kingsholm Stadium, Vickery was appointed the title of Deputy Lieutenant of Gloucestershire in 2015.
Jonny Wilkinson
Renowned for his iconic drop-goal that secured victory against Australia in the 2003 final, Wilkinson transitioned into a coaching role with Toulon, focusing on kicking and skills development following his retirement. He also now works as a pundit for ITV Sport during Rugby World Cup’s and the Six Nations.
Will Greenwood
Greenwood continued to shine on the international stage following the 2003 glory, and went on to represent the British & Irish Lions for their 2005 tour to New Zealand. He ended his career at Harlequins in 2006, and soon gave his experienced views through analysis and punditry. Greenwood co-hosted the ‘School of Hard Knocks’ TV series with former Wales international Scott Quinnell, and was an on-screen analyst for ITV as England reached the final of the 2007 Rugby World Cup.
Will has also explored opportunities away from rugby, and is the current Chief Customer Officer for data and software company Afiniti’s London office. Greenwood’s family was struck with tragedy, after his son Freddie died just 45 minutes after being born. The former England centre underwent an inspirational walk to the North Pole in memory of his son, and helped to raise over £750,000 for Borne’s research. Greenwood is a patron of Borne, who are a medical research charity that work with cases of premature birth. He is also a patron of Child Bereavement UK, which is a charity that support parents who have lost a child.