Just over six months after retiring in a blaze of glory in 2014, it seemed as though Jonny Wilkinson got a little ahead of himself for the first time in his life.
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The England World Cup-winning number 10 was widely tipped for a knighthood in Queen Elizabeth’s New Year’s Honours list and even tweeted what looked like the beginnings of a humble acceptance speech. Except, well, the honour never came.
The European and French champion with Toulon, known for his trademark perfectionism, quickly rowed back on his now-deleted Tweet and managed to save face. He gracefully congratulated all the “non-perfect people” who did make it onto the list.
Wilkinson, who famously kicked England to World Cup glory in 2003 and tackled like a human wrecking ball, remains one of the game’s most admired figures. If anyone deserves a “Sir” before their name, it’s probably him.
For now though, Jonny remains just a legend—and we’re pretty sure he’s okay with that.
The European and French champion with Toulon did manage to row back on his original (now deleted) Tweet to offer congratulations to all the non-perfect people who did make it on this year’s list.
Maybe next year, JW.
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QUIZ: Can you name these 10 England one-cap wonders…
This quiz challenges you to identify 10 players who earned the rare distinction of making just one appearance for the England rugby team.
These “one-cap wonders” might have been on the brink of a promising international career, unlucky with competition in their position, or simply never got another chance after their debut.
Test your knowledge and see if you can remember these players who had their brief moment in the England jersey!
