ENGLAND rugby legend Jonny Wilkinson led his team to World Cup victory in 2003.
A decade later, he married his long-term girlfriend. Here’s what we know about his wife, Shelley Jenkins.
Getty Images – GettyShelley supported her husband, Jonny Wilkinson, as his rugby career came to an end in May, 2014.[/caption]
Who is Jonny Wilkinson?
Jonny Wilkinson, retired rugby union player and England hero, was born on May 25, 1979, and is widely considered one of the best rugby union players of all time.
Born in Surrey, Jonny grew up in Farnham and attended Lord Wandsworth College in Hampshire.
Jonny was awarded a scholarship to study at the University of Durham but went on to give up his place in 1997 to become a professional rugby player, starting his career at the Newcastle Falcons.
The fly-half made his England debut in 1998 at just 18, and is perhaps best known for scoring the winning drop goal in the 2003 Rugby World Cup final against Australia, bringing the national side to its first and only World Cup victory.
Jonny was the tournament’s leading scorer, racking up a total of 113 points.
Following his triumphant run at the World Cup, he was voted 2003 BBC Sports Personality of the Year and also named the IRB International Player of the Year.
Jonny stayed with the Newcastle Falcons for 12 years, making a total of 182 appearances, before moving to French side Toulon in 2009, where he stayed until he retired in 2014.
He holds the title of top scorer at Toulon.
Jonny ended his rugby career while playing for Toulon in May 2014 in a match against Castres, after which fans from both teams sang God Save the Queen to honour his glittering career.
In 2015, Jonny’s MBE, awarded in 2002, was upgraded to a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), for services to rugby union.
Since retiring from professional rugby, Jonny has made appearances as a pundit for Sky Sports and ITV Sport.
Who is Jonny Wilkinson’s wife, Shelley Jenkins?
On October 21, 2013, Jonny married his girlfriend of eight years, Shelley Jenkins, in a private ceremony in Bandol, on the French Riviera, not far from Toulon.
Jonny has been open about the mental health trouble he experienced in a period following the World Cup when he was off the pitch due to injuries, but things started looking up when he met Shelley.
The pair met in 2005, not long after Wilkinson split from Sky Sports presenter Diana Stewart.
Scaffolding heiress Shelley was working as a cocktail waitress in Majorca with her twin sister, Tracey, at the time.
At the private wedding ceremony in Provence, just two guests were in attendance, Jonny’s mum, Philippa, and Shelley’s twin sister.
Speaking to The Sun in 2020, Jonny was asked what possession he would rescure from a burning building.
He responded: “As long as my wife Shelley and child were OK, that’s all that matters.”
Asked who his celebrity crush was, he said: “My crush will always be my wife.”
Do Jonny Wilkinson and Shelley Jenkins have children together?
Jonny and Shelley have one child together, who was born in 2018.
The pair keep a low profile, but while Shelley was pregnant, they attended friend Prince Harry’s wedding to Megan Markle in Windsor.
Jonny has spoken before about his wish for his children not to follow him into a career in sport— but said he hoped that they would have a different approach than he did, referring to his mental health battles.
Speaking exclusively to The Sun on Sunday in 2018, the former fly-half now 44, said: “I’m genuinely happy now. My life has changed so much in the past six years. I’ve been on a huge journey.”
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