20 fascinating facts about Jonny

1. When he first moved to Newcastle as an 18-year-old, Wilkinson had to ring his mum to check he did not need to take his passport with him to the supermarket to write a cheque.

2. His mum Philippa has not travelled to Australia because she gets too nervous watching Jonny play.

3. Even on Christmas Day, Wilkinson will head to the training ground to practise his kicking.

4. As well as playing for Newcastle Falcons, Wilkinson is a fan of Newcastle United football club.

5. In his house in Newcastle, Wilkinson has a room full of kit from Newcastle, England and the Lions.

6. After beating France in the first match of this year's Six Nations, rather than go out to celebrate, Wilkinson stayed in and learned how to play chess.

7. Wilkinson, who has been learning to play the guitar for the past year, is always having to buy himself a new guitar. When on tour, he leaves them behind in the hotel because he finds it a hassle to take them with him.

8. Wilkinson also plays golf to take his mind off rugby but rarely plays whole rounds because he starts to worry about his score.

9. He played one season of football when he was 10 and in his first game scored from the halfway line, but he gave up the sport because he felt he wasn't good enough and it was interfering with his rugby.

10. When former England centre Jeremy Guscott walked into the dressing room on the day of Wilkinson's international debut, he thought the 18-year-old had won a competition to spend the day with the national team.

11. He only commits himself to 20 days of commercial work a year so it doesn't interfere with his rugby.

12. Wilkinson is close friends with Richard Hill and whenever the team are given time off the pair often go out together.

13. He is a bit of a film buff but has been known to stand up his mates at the cinema if his kicking practice is not going well. City.

14. Diana Stewart, Jonny Wilkinson's stunning actress girlfriend, shuns the limelight to such an extent that when Marks and Spencer's decided to employ her to be the new face of their loyalty card, she did not reveal to them who her boyfriend was.

15. His grandfather, Phil, played football for Norwich

16. He's quite a shy lad. Jonny declined to pose topless when the England rugby team bared all for a charity calendar.

17. He lives with his brother Mark, who also plays for Newcastle Falcons, and the pair often relax at home with a few games of table tennis.

18. Wilkinson is the highest earner in the England team.

19. DownUnder on the Lions tour in 2001, Wilkinson went into a shark tank with Richard Hill and Martin Corry.

20. Wilkinson once impressed himself (and some Middlesbrough footballers who were looking on) when he aimed for and hit the crossbar five times in a row during a kicking drill.