blog

Action For A-T

Mon, 29 Oct 2012 11:50:30 +0000

Recently I had the absolute pleasure of meeting up with Evie Read. Evie is the daughter of Toby, a friend of mine from my Newcastle days, and she suffers from a rare condition known as Ataxia-Telangiectasia or A-T.

A-T is a neurodegenerative condition for which there is no cure at present. It is a very severe condition which totally takes away a child's independence and results in premature death. There are simply no words strong enough to convey just how tough and sad a situation it is for Evie and her family. Nor are there any words available to justify just how courageous and cool a girl she is!!

Toby and Evie came out to Toulon last month and made a visit to the training ground just outside the centre. We spent a great afternoon together running around, passing a few rugby balls and doing a little bit to create more awareness of the A-T condition.

During the time we had I learned a lot about Evie and I learned a lot about A-T. I also learned about ACTION FOR A-T. Action for A-T is Toby and his family's charity, set up with the mission of speeding up the path towards finding treatments to delay the progression of the condition, and eventually a cure. As a patron for the Action for A-T charity I would love to help him and his family raise more much needed funds to support the hugely positive goal of trying to make life better for those affected by the condition.

We managed to document the day in Toulon in a short video which shows what we got up to as well as some lovely footage of Evie too. It also helps to explain more about A-T. Please check it out on the Action for A-T website www.actionforAT.org and if you'd like to help in anyway then please do, and thank you.

Fineside

Wed, 17 Oct 2012 09:10:16 +0000

The opportunity to design and make your own clothing range is a privileged one. It is one which I have. It is one which I really care about, an opportunity I really want to make the most of and therefore not surprisingly it has become something I have allowed myself to become obsessed with!

I love the attention to detail, the need for quality, the need to get it right. I thrive on the search for control and can't bear the fact that I can't be in control all the time. I am inspired to make Fineside the very best it can be.

Fineside is about freedom to be yourself. Freedom which comes from room to move and space to operate. But it is a freedom to be the best version of yourself which truly interests me. That is why we have designed Fineside garments to work with your body, fit with your body and move with your body. If you want it, it's there. If you don't need it then you just have the freedom to be anyway.

The colours and looks are often understated to begin with but carry certain parts, which you need to get close to discover. Little extra colours that point to the little uniqueness that lies inside everyone.

Then there is the hidden features, the talents underneath to help us function better and relax better. The media headphone loop and the hidden media pocket for listening to your phone and music whilst jogging or walking without wires going everywhere. The articulated sleeves mimic the way your arms fall naturally therefore supporting movement rather than hindering it. This is what I love about this opportunity to make clothes. It's right up there with getting the opportunity to wear them!

In the south of France it's still crazy hot. I'm wearing my ‘Yeti’ and ‘Cormier’ t shirts 24/7. Out in the evening I'm loving the ‘Benson’ short sleeve shirt, the ‘Dillett’ for more formal situations and my one colour ‘Reeves’ and ‘Blain’ polos.

I love the sunshine, I love the climate, but I can't help thinking that the cooler temperatures will allow me to get the ‘Falco’ jumpers back out and to try the newly released ‘Wheeler’ and the ‘Draper’ sweatshirts on for size.

As for now though I'm going to get back to thinking about the next range and what's coming next. After all it's been about three whole minutes since I was last pondering it over and that is way too long as far as I'm concerned.

Argentina's impressive entrance into the Rugby Championship.

Thu, 27 Sep 2012 11:09:40 +0000

I want to congratulate the Argentinian rugby team as well as their captain, and team mate of mine, Juan Fernandez Lobbe. This season has been their inaugural participation in the Rugby Championship and it was viewed by many as possibly being a mis-matched one. What the Argentinian boys have shown is exactly what I have known to be true for a very long time, and that is that these boys can play. They can hold their own against anyone.

Many have foolishly overlooked the talent they possess as well as the togetherness and ferocious passion they have for the game, and for never giving up. This year already they have pushed the unbeaten All Blacks hard, drawn a game with South Africa which they could argue they should have won, and then gone the distance with Australia, in Australia, leading the whole way until a very spirited comeback robbed them of victory at the end.

Why are they so good? In my opinion they have a fantastic team spirit, which is the bedrock of any rugby team. Then they have the individual talent in all areas especially the key ones. Juan as captain is as consistently world class as anyone else out there. The same can be said for Juan Martin Hernandez, the outside half who has the talent to completely dominate a game and only seems to be getting better.

As a forward pack the pumas have a phenomenal work rate around the park, which is often overlooked in favour of talking about the solidity of their set piece. As a back division they are prepared to do whatever it takes to win, chasing kicks and taking the ball up hard into tough defensive areas too. There are not many outside backs better at defending in the wide channels and then competing at the breakdown. As soon as you lose concentration for a second against this team in attack they will turn you over. As 15 players working together they have the ability to conjure up a little bit of magic to score big tries when it counts most.

We have seen on many occasions the fate of teams who go into a South American clash with complacency. It has happened to the best and it will happen to more. Be warned. These guys need to be respected. I watch a lot of them play every week in France. They are a fantastic team and I look forward to seeing a lot more of them in the games and years to come.

Pre-season Preparation

Mon, 20 Aug 2012 08:52:05 +0000

After a great summer break, it has been back to work here in Toulon.

While the weather is still super hot we have been training hard and the team are looking in great shape moving forward into the season. We have already played our 3 pre-season games and have come out on top in all of them.

First up we found ourselves taking on against a strong Stade Francais team and I found myself as stand in captain covering the not quite fit Joe Van Niekirk. We got off to a good start and enjoyed a good win.

Our second run out was against a fast and ambitious Begles Bordeaux team who had us pinned on our line for long periods. Keeping them out proved a big catalyst for our performance and we found ourselves a few points clear towards the end.

On a personal note I managed to score from a charged down kick which, was nice. However it was also a little painful and had me thanking my technique because if this one had caught me in the face it may well have been lights out!!

Finally we took on Mont De Marson last Thursday to finish the preparation period. A scrappy win with too many dropped balls and forced passes, although ‘not ideal’ was perhaps exactly what we needed to spur us on and sharpen us up before the league starts.

We are in the build up for our first Top 14 game away to Perpignan and also looking ahead to a great season.

Thanks for all the support via email and post, it makes a big difference and as always is massively appreciated.

Competition - #finesidebuilds

Wed, 13 Jun 2012 16:37:45 +0000

After weeks of looking at cardboard in the Fineside warehouse, inspiration struck... 'Let's build stuff!'

So, whilst Sparks and Dan have been busy with their construction, we’ve also decided to run a competition for you to guess what they decided to build!!

Let us know through Twitter (@fineside) using the #finesidebuilds hashtag or click on the link below button below. You can even get involved at facebook.com/fineside.

#finesidebuilds

Don’t let all the effort go to waste. Let us know your answer for a chance to win a Straker Sweatshirt.

We’ll be announcing the winning guess on Friday 15th June and opening up the next part of the competition, stay tuned!

Supplements

Fri, 25 May 2012 09:49:48 +0000

Supplements in diets have now become quite popular, and for me it is very much a case of finding out what works for you and what it is that you are not getting enough of from your normal eating habits.

Thankfully I happen to know a very good nutritionist in Matt Lovell who works with the England rugby team. Through Matt I have learnt what I need and what helps me peak for my daily training sessions.

In the morning I take 'greens formula' which provides me with all the goodness I need from vegetables. I use multi vitamins and supplement my fish oils for when I can't get them into my meals. I also take a fantastic herbal liquorice drink, which does wonders for my wellbeing.

The important thing to know is that everyone is different and what works for one of us might not do the same for others. There are some things though which just make a lot of sense. Getting your minerals and vitamins is a good place to start, as is anything that helps your body deal with whatever it is that you put it through.

If you want to see the kind of things that are available in the world of supplements then Matt has a good website yoursportsnutrition.com which you can visit for a look around.

My Diet

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 14:13:10 +0000

Thought I'd let you in on a few details of what goes into fuelling a day in the life of a professional rugby player.

One and a half hours before training in the morning I eat a large bowl of muesli with skimmed milk. I then fry myself up an egg white omelette with wholemeal toast.

On the way into training which takes me about 45 minutes I will eat a pre training bar consisting of protein and carbohydrates and good metabolism boosting fats. I am in the process of developing my own brand of these as we speak.

Straight after weight training I will take a protein shake, and then after team training which follows I will eat a post training bar which I am designing. It helps the body to recover and make the most of the hard work using the right types and ratio of carbohydrates and protein.

Lunch is often rice and chicken, or something extra cooked from the night before and eaten with salad but always a good amount of lean meat and wholemeal carbohydrates. I will sometimes eat Quinoa spaghetti with turkey, or wholemeal pasta with chicken and vegetables.

I will also snack throughout the day on fruit, vegetables, meat and small amounts of nuts and raisins.

Dinner is something I will eat around 7 - 7.30pm and it will include meat and lots of vegetables, and a lot less simple carbohydrates. I do not tend to eat a huge amount of potatoes but will eat the odd sweet potato. Once a week I will eat lean red meat like ground beef in a chilli, or a rump steak. I love the odd bit of white fish such as Monkfish, Sea Bass or grilled Salmon, all of which contain great necessary oils to aid with the body functions.

Dessert wise I will sometimes treat myself every now and again, but I also love natural yogurt which can be spruced up with small amounts of raisins and other things.

I always try to drink plenty of water throughout the day and this is vital for getting the real benefits of doing the right thing with your diet.

France Is A Big Place

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 13:42:39 +0000

I wouldn't go as far as to call it a downside at all, maybe just a necessary evil, maybe just part of the job. Away games in France can take you miles and miles away from home and getting there can be tough at times.

It is, as they say, the same for everyone - well more or less. We all have to get used to a few long bus journeys. In England playing for Newcastle Falcons we did a lot of travelling. Being isolated up in that north-eastern corner meant that every away trip bar Leeds was a reasonable trek. The worst of which being Bristol and Bath, both five and a half hour jaunts.

Here in France playing for Toulon we just completed a sixteen hour round trip to Brive. Eight hours each way incidentally does not always pass that quickly. How to use it wisely?

The usual books and films are good options, but understanding films in French is still something I find tricky, even more so with the odd outburst of raucous laughter from card games at the back of the bus.

I have really gotten into my mini series on my Mac. Anything from Entourage to the Listener, to the Inbetweeners has been watched and completed. Supernatural, which is an awesome action type series, has been done as has Spartacus and season 1 and 2 of Baywatch (mentioning that may have been a mistake).

I also use the time to write some pieces for my blog and no surprises the return leg of the Brive trip is inspiring this piece. A game that we narrowly lost, and therefore a trip that feels more like ten hours.

Anyway we're almost back now. It is actually something you learn to really enjoy. Getting the chance to hang out with your team mates, talking rubbish, laughing and joking is all part of creating that unbreakable bond and that all important team spirit.

That experience alone is worth that horrible feeling when you realise you have just spent the best part of forty minutes asleep with your head and neck at an angle they should theoretically never have been able to reach.

Stuart Lancaster

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 11:59:43 +0000

I think now is a great time to be congratulating Stuart Lancaster and celebrating his achievement of receiving the England job and obtaining a contract which will take him through the next World Cup for sure.

I met with Stuart shortly before he began his Six Nations campaign and I immediately got a good impression of what he was about and where he wanted to go with the opportunity. He wanted to take time out to speak to guys like myself and Simon Shaw who had both recently retired from the international game, to get our views, and hear a little about our experiences over the last 15 seasons for me, and nye on 20 for Shawsy!

What I liked about Stuart's approach was that his first priority was all about getting it right where it counts most, the team, the players and ultimately the values of both. Another way of expressing this is to say that he was interested in creating the basis for great team spirit.

Team spirit is what drives success. It can be like having an extra player or two on the field at times. It's what inspires performances and tightens up training. Team spirit also comes from interactions between players, winning, and spending time together. This can only grow and grow as time goes on. But only if a strong foundation has been laid which promotes it.

What is a strong foundation for team spirit? In my eyes it is simple. Respect for the team and each member, and unconditional supporting one another. Going hard out because it matters to you is clearly imperative but then going even harder because you know how much it matters to others is where teams find the next level.

If you can match up all your decisions with these two simple concepts then you can't be going too far wrong.

What you say in the media, how you turn up to training physically and mentally, how you behave in public when on duty, how you respond to being picked or dropped, if everyone holds up their end of the bargain, if they drive and maintain high standards then the result is enormously positive. In fact it's actually the very best thing about playing rugby. It's what makes the impossible gradually turn into the very possible.

I for one am looking forward to seeing where Stuart takes this England team. After all, that spirit very nearly brought about a Six Nations Championship against all odds. Not a bad start by anyone's standards.

Fabrice Muamba

Sat, 31 Mar 2012 11:52:21 +0000

I would very much like to send my best wishes to Bolton footballer Fabrice Muamba who continues to display incredible strength and courage in his recovery after collapsing during a recent FA cup game against Tottenham. The miraculous fight-back to health has been an inspiring tale for us all and I would like to make it known that we are all 100% with him in spirit as he pushes on with his journey back to health.

Thoughts also go out to Fabrice's family, friends and teammates too. I can only imagine what it must have been like during that fateful match for all players and supporters as well as Fabrice himself. Keep sending your positive energy and support. It was awesome to see a picture of him posted on twitter in which he is sat upright and smiling away.

Keep it going!

Six Nations

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 11:41:44 +0000

This years six nations tournament was definitely an exciting one and an interesting one to boot too. However, in saying that I cannot think of many over the last 12 years that weren't. It's just a great tournament.

Firstly it has to be said that Wales definitely deserved to win the Grand Slam. They performed consistently well over the series and showed some serious guts at times, particularly in the last few moments against a spirited England team, and rounding the whole thing off against France - not an easy task by anyone’s standards!

For most people I think England might have been the biggest surprise of the championship, but not for me. These guys, no matter how young, old, experienced, or inexperienced are tough players, and clearly fiercely proud to be representing their country. The technical aspects of the performances will grow and develop over the next few seasons, of that I'm sure. What's been so reassuring is seeing this squad being built from the ground up and in the right way.

The foundation is looking set. A strong base of spirit and defence is what gives teams a chance of winning. I have been hugely impressed by these qualities in this team. The ‘body on the line’ attitude is clear to see and the enthusiasm for doing your part to help your team mate is right there.

As the team becomes ever closer with guys understanding each other better and better, so will the attacking structure. This will determine if the tight games become wins and by how much. For this year the team has been able to rely on big performances from the likes of Farrell, Barritt, Tuilangi, Morgan and the front five, but everyone has played a big part, contributing hugely to a fantastic first season for Stuart Lancaster and fellow coaches.

New England Squad

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:03:26 +0000

It's been really interesting to see the new England Squad announcement. It certainly has a young feel about it which I think is a very good thing. With the next World Cup the full four years away it highlights the importance of making every second count in-between.

The key for me as to the success of the England team over the next period will be the ability to retain a consistency in selection and therefore to build from the bottom up an extremely tight and well functioning group. This, in essence, seems pretty simple but in the world we live in at the moment it is anything but.

With the ever-heightening pressure for quick results from the media and to drop or pick certain players around the league, the coach’s job is far from straight forward. Also with the increased pace and intensity of contact in the professional game, it means that knocks and the odd injury are fast becoming inevitable.

In my eyes England will need to establish their identity early on, how are they going to play, how are they going to be as a squad, and what is expected of anyone who wants to be in the group both from a skills and a values perspective.

It will be important to understand where we are in the rankings, where we want to be, how we are going to get there, and then stay there. These guidelines, as far as I'm concerned, for any club or team are the untouchable, incontestable rules/standards from that point forwards. It has always helped, I feel, to have a pretty rigid code of conduct like this to which you can refer back to for any big or small decisions.

The likes of Louis Deacon, Lee Mears, Tom Palmer, Toby Flood, and Charlie Hodgson, along with a few others will bring and have to look after the need for experience and composure in the early moments, whilst even more leadership will be added by players like Dylan Hartley, Tom Croft, Ben Youngs, Chris Robshaw and Tom Wood, who are more than familiar with the feeling of carrying responsibility and making decisions under pressure for their clubs week in and week out.

It's fantastic to see Lee Dixon and Phil Dowson - two ex-Falcons team mates of mine- in there, both deservedly so too. The inclusion of Owen Farrell is an exciting one and it's been great to watch how he and Charlie Hodgson are combining for Saracens.

With a lot of guys in the forwards who already know what international rugby is all about, game breakers such as Manu and Floody operating behind the pack, and the exceptional pace and finishing of Ashton, Foden, Strettle and Sharples out wide, it would be fair to say that in principle the whole thing looks good!

Needless to say I wish all the boys very well and hope that the training days have gone well so far. Congratulations to Stuart Lancaster for the way he has held himself so far and also best wishes to Graham Rowntree and Andy Farrell in their new coaching roles. May it be a truly enjoyable experience for everyone. Here's to a great four years!

Fineside Road Test

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 16:46:56 +0000

Over the last 2 years my brother Sparks and I have been working hard together on creating and establishing the Fineside clothing brand. We set out with the ambition to make items of streetwear which move with and support the body during any kind of activity. We knew this was going to be a tough challenge but it's been plenty of fun. With the initial launch range in our hands we set off to see if we were really staying true to our goal.

There was no one better, in our opinion, to test our product than the inventor of free running and a friend of ours Sebastien Foucan. In his home town of Evry in France we met up with Seb and asked him to give the clothing a real road test. Decked out in an Asteroids t-shirts and an Evers hooded sweat he did just that. The garments coped easily. Which is more than can be said for us as we struggled to keep up with him and get the footage on camera!

We're really happy with it all, even Seb has given us his special nod of approval. Now it's your chance to see the action for yourself.

Hope you like it. Feel free to visit us at www.fineside.com

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Seb Foucan

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 14:36:14 +0000

My brother and I had the opportunity last year, with our fineside project, to head to Evry in Paris and meet up with Sebastien Foucan, our friend and founder of Freerunning.

Amongst other film roles, Seb's most recognisable part was in the James Bond film "Casino Royale" where he played the character Mollaka and did a great chase scene at the start of the movie, and more recently he has done a film called The Tournament, which you should check out.

We gave Seb some of our movement inspired, active streetwear to road test, and then tried to keep up with him to film it. It was a great couple of days and a real eye opener into Seb’s world. The final film is nearly ready and I will put it up on here as soon as it’s completed. In the meantime here is a little teaser of Seb testing out our stuff. I hope you like it!

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Night Kick-Off's

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 16:31:41 +0000

Here in France the evening games can sometimes kick off late. 8.45pm, 9pm start times are not unusual which is fine, but it does mean there's a fair bit of time to kill before you get out there.

And this is the problem. I don't like killing time. In fact I don't believe time should be killed at all.

On the morning of an evening game I will tend to try to sleep longer and lie in later. This also means going to bed later the night before and I'll try to kick at the match stadium at some point during the morning too. This will only be a 40 minute session maximum, going through all the skills that I know I am going to need for later that night. I will also take the opportunity to run around just a tiny bit, just to get my legs moving and the blood flowing through my body.

After that comes the hard bit. There remains only a few things to do; prepare mentally, eat and wait.

Preparing mentally for me means spending a bit of time thinking about what your role is out on the field for this specific game. What are the calls? What might you do if this happens? If that happens etc? What's the weather like and how will that affect the tactics? Finally I go through my notes from the weeks' meetings and training sessions.

Eating is sometimes a bit tricky. I like to eat little and often and keep my carbohydrate intake up so that I will have plenty of energy. At the same time though I will eat my pre-match meal about three and a half to four hours before kick off. From then on I don't eat too much. As Blackie always said "it's better to go on the field slightly hungry" because being hungry on the rugby field is a nice attitude to have. What is very important is to keep hydrated. Even the slightest degrees of dehydration can affect performance significantly.

So that leaves the waiting. I hate waiting. For me, preparing mentally also means taking my mind off rugby during the afternoon so that I don't burn myself out before the game has even begun. I now have an ipad, which I will take with me so that I can relax in the hotel room and watch a few TV series. At the moment I am revisiting "Entourage" and loving Ari Gold's ridiculously over obscene outbursts, and Johnny Dramas’ ridiculous comments. I am finally watching "Prison Break" after being recommended to do so by tonnes of people. I must admit it's pretty good. To be fair a good few episodes of these sorts of shows can really take care of the afternoon.

An hour before we leave for the game I get the routine going. I shower, shave, pack the bag, phone my girlfriend, Mum and Dad, Brother and Blackie, and then I read the notes one more time. Once you’re on the coach to the game it's "no turning back time". Once your on the field it's "there's no where I'd rather be" time, and after the game, well that's when you know that it's all been worth it.

Oh and by the way, if any of you know of any good series that I can watch before some of the games we've got coming up I'd love to hear about them. I am always on the lookout for a new one to entertain me during the long afternoons. I'll give you my reviews too.

info@jonnywilkinson.com

@jonnywilkinson

Tweeting

Fri, 30 Dec 2011 10:31:32 +0000

Well, I've finally decided to make a start on my twitter account. It's not exactly my normal style but I want to give it a try anyway. We'll see how it goes.

It'll also help to clear up a bit of confusion surrounding some other people who are posing as myself, and just beginning to cause a few issues here and there.

Feel free to follow me at @jonnywilkinson

My England Retirement

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 16:44:07 +0000

I would like to take this opportunity to announce my retirement from International rugby.

To do so fills me with great sadness but I know that I have been blessed in so many ways to have experienced what I have with the England rugby team.

I never ever believed that I would be able to give up on this dream which has driven me to live, breathe, love and embrace the game of rugby from the earliest days that I can remember.

I certainly have no intention of letting this decision change the way that I approach my training and preparation for games. In fact early indication shows me that I'm actually getting more intense about it. Playing the game, representing the team, giving my all and never letting go has meant everything to me. I do, have done and always will believe that I am very capable of performing and thriving at any level of the sport.

The time has come, however, for me to realise that I have gone as far as I can go with this England team and that the time is right for others to enjoy the same honour and pride that I have felt over the past 15 seasons and beyond.I have far too many people to thank for what I have been able to achieve but as always, it starts with my Mum and Dad, my brother Mark, my girlfriend Shelley, Steve Black, Tim Buttimore and Dave Alred as well as the rest of my family and friends. I can never give enough credit to all my team mates from over the years and my physios, surgeons, doctors and coaches too who have unconditionally helped me through all kinds of thick and thin. Finally I would like to show my enormous appreciation and gratitude to all the true followers of the game who have given me way, way more time and support than it has ever been reasonable for one person to ask for. You will never truly understand the effect you have all had on me and my career.

To say I have played through four World Cups, two Lions tours, 91 international games and a ridiculous number of injuries and other set backs gives me an incredibly special feeling of fulfilment. But by now I know myself well enough to know that I will never truly be satisfied!

It goes without saying that I would like to wish Stuart Lancaster, his coaches and the England Squad every bit of success available to them. I would also very much like to extend those wishes to Martin Johnson, Brian Smith, Mike Ford, John Wells, Graham Rowntree and the rest of the England 2011 World cup management team who have been fantastic and deserve people to know that.

For me now, I will continue to focus ever harder on my goal of being the very best I can be with Toulon Rugby Club and continue to embrace and enjoy wherever that path takes me.

Thank you once again,

Jonny Wilkinson

My Autobiography

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 11:12:46 +0000

I have been lucky enough to be given the chance to write a few books during my career and I have just finished my autobiography, which is on sale now. It's called "Jonny" which seemed like the most apt title and also the best one after many failed attempts at coming up with something clever.

I worked on this one with a friend and journalist named Owen Slott. I would have liked to write it myself like I did my last book "tackling life" but unfortunately there wasn't time. To do so I think would have probably taken me years! Owen has done a fantastic job on the book and I say this with huge admiration because I know it can't have been easy working with me on such a project.

A major topic in the book is my obsessive nature and perfectionist side, which do tend to surface when something becomes important to me. Getting this book "right" has been the very top priority and there has been no room for compromise. Headline publishers, who have looked after me amazingly over the years, have told me on a few occasions that they have never seen such a dedication to an autobiography from a sportsman. Deep down I imagine it must have been incredibly frustrating for them and Owen, but the end result is one I am definitely proud of and truly happy with.

My Autobiography is one I have made very open and very honest. I have tried to let people into the world in which we operate and into what it's really all been about for me. The journey I have been on and the path I have trodden so far has been full of major ups and downs, highs and lows and it's only really now that I can see how much I have changed along the way. One thing that has not changed though has been the support I have received from all those around me, including you guys, and for that I am ridiculously grateful. If you get a chance to read it yourselves I sincerely hope that this is a sentiment that hits home. I also hope you really enjoy it.

I wrote my first book "Lions and Falcons" way back in 2001 (over ten years ago!!!) which was a diary of a brilliant year and told of a Cup winning season with Newcastle Falcons, A Six Nations Championship win with England and a massively tense, exciting and enjoyable Lions tour down in Australia which we came so close to making ours.

My next one was called "My World" and was more of a revealing picture book looking at The World Cup in 2003 and what a crazy experience it was. This one is definitely one of the most interesting for me now as I look back. I realise how much those events of that fabulous year affected me.

Following this and during my heavily injured period I wrote a coaching style book "How to play rugby my way" which looked at putting forward some hopefully insightful and undoubtedly thorough tips and theories on everything from all types of kicking, running, passing, tackling, attacking and defending. I wanted to give as much of my knowledge away as possible. I also wanted to make it equally accessible to people of all ages. Needless to say I was particularly fussy over this one.

Then came "Tackling Life" which I wrote again myself and is a hugely positive take on my learning lessons from rugby which can be applied to situations in every day life on or off the sporting field. Tackling life takes a great deal of influence and inspiration from my spiritual transformation during the darker injury years. I also worked with Blackie on this book and he wrote a great deal of it with me. The guy knows so much about teams and making them successful that it was a joy to have his input. My favourite part of "Tackling Life" though was the big emphasis on dealing with perceived set backs and working towards being the best you can be. Not such a bad thing.

Anyway, now you have the low down on all the books I have been authored. This information could well come in handy for where to head next time you go to the bookshop and what to look for (or what specifically to avoid).

Hope you're all well.

Jonny

Click here to buy Jonny: My Autobiography

Book Signing

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 14:55:09 +0000

I just wanted to say a massive thank you to all those brave souls who waited for me at the Twickenham store a couple of weeks back for my book signing. It was just awesome to see so many of you there. It must have been cold outside too. Thanks again for making that effort. It really means a lot.

Unfortunately I know that a few of you had to get going before you managed to get to the front of the queue. For that I am truly sorry. If you send your books to the address on the website I will certainly get them back to you with a signature on as soon as I possibly can.

We started the signing at 6pm and I signed the final copy at approximately 2.30am! More important though was the fact that I got the opportunity to meet all of you and spend a little bit of quality time with you. That is the best thing about these things, the chance to catch up with those who really matter and who make the game work on so many levels, and that is the supporters.

I would also like to say thank you to the RFU staff who were simply amazing and worked non stop. We had a pretty sweet system going including photographs and books ready to go as well as blankets and food for those still waiting.

For me the evening was an awesome experience. It's pretty uplifting to spend so long surrounded by so many positive, selfless people. I may have left late that night but I definitely left with a smile on my face. I hope that those who attended found it worth the trouble and I really hope you enjoy the book.

See you soon

Jonny

Twickenham Book Signing

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 15:35:39 +0000

Hi Guys,
I just wanted to let everyone know that I’m excited to be at Twickenham Stadium from 6pm – 8 pm on Friday 11th November. I’ll be there for a book signing to celebrate the launch of ‘Jonny: My Autobiography’, and wanted to invite you all to come along.

Writing the book has been a really enjoyable and beneficial experience. It’s given me the opportunity to reflect on past endeavour's, both good and bad, revisit some really fond memories and learn a fair bit about myself too.

A huge amount of work has gone into it, and I can happily say that the book represents a very honest account of my life and myself both on the field and away from Rugby.

It would be great to see you there. Now that I’m living in France chances to interact with rugby supporters can be few and far between. I'm hoping that the book signing will provide an ideal opportunity to meet you all.

I really hope you can make it.

JW