How Wilko kicked the habit

England superstar Jonny Wilkinson has revealed that his intensity and passion for rugby nearly brought a premature end to his glittering career.

England superstar Jonny Wilkinson has revealed that his intensity and passion for rugby nearly brought a premature end to his glittering career.

The Newcastle Falcons pivot has been his nation's lynchpin for a number of years and became only the second ever player to score 1,000 points for England during his side's Six Nations win over Italy.

However, despite kicking the winning drop-goal in the 2003 World Cup Final, the 28-year-old revealed that his career has put his life away from the game in jeopardy.

“For most of the last ten years rugby has totally engulfed me,” Wilkinson told Rugby World magazine.

“It's been the be-all and end-all. It came so naturally to me at 18 – maybe that's why I turned to it as the answer to everything.

“I felt most true to myself when I was attacking life through rugby. I milked every last drop of it and sacrificed every other aspect of my life.”

Further revelations from the fly-half also state that he seldom enjoyed the 80 minutes of action purely because of the pressure he put on himself to succeed.

“The truth is that I have very rarely enjoyed a game of rugby,” he continued.

“Instead I made every game a huge, pressure-fuelled environment. The sheer fear of failure destroyed everything that could have been good about it.

“During a game I couldn't enjoy any part of it unless I was in a team 20 points up with just a few minutes to go – only when it was impossible to lose could I relax.”

Wilkinson confessed to how the game has dictated his life off it, forcing him to re-think how he approached each match, and his outlook on life.

“Off the pitch it was even worse,” said Wilkinson

“I struggled sleeping for much of the time, but it got worse and worse the nearer a game approached.

“What if we lost? What if I made the crucial mistake? What would people say? It didn't get any better after a game.

“I'd lie in bed analysing all the things I'd done wrong. It was an addiction – I couldn't walk away from it.

“I couldn't have lasted for much longer approaching life in the way I had chosen to do. If I'd tried I would have destroyed myself.”

Wilkinson revealed the turning point in both his career and in life came after he lacerated his kidney playing for Newcastle against Bristol in November 2006.

In what was the twelfth serious injury of his career, the England international finally realised he had to alter his lifestyle in order to enjoy the game, and life to its fullest.

“I finally got it at the twelfth time of asking – the penny dropped,” said Wilkinson.

“That is why I am happier as a person and believe, contrary to what people may think or say, that I am a better rugby player too.

“The injuries have saved me. I've learned to walk away from rugby when I've needed to.

“I believe the whole experience and the realisation of where I was going wrong have made me a better rugby player now that I have ever been.”

By Joe Drable