Jonny Wilkinson joins Sky Sports

England’s most famous fly-half, Jonny Wilkinson, will feature on-air as an analyst for Sky Sports and as an Ambassador for Sky Sports Living for Sport, part of Sky Academy from October. 

He will join Sky’s unrivalled line up of experts during the broadcaster’s biggest ever season of international, European and domestic rugby union.

Jonny will be in the studio for the first time on Saturday as Sale take on Munster and Premiership champions Northampton Saints travel to Paris to face Racing Métro in Sky Sports’ opening two fixtures in the European Rugby Champions Cup. 

He will offer fans his expert insight into the weekend’s action having won the Heineken Cup with RC Toulon for the last two years. He will then be reunited with Sir Clive Woodward and Will Greenwood as England face the All Blacks at Twickenham on 8 November, analysing what it takes to beat the world’s top team.

As part of the new partnership, Jonny will also become an Ambassador for Sky Sports Living for Sport, part of Sky Academy, a unique set of initiatives that uses the power of television, creativity and sport to inspire one million young people and help them build skills and confidence. 

Sky Sports Living for Sport is free to all secondary schools in the UK and Ireland. Jonny will use his own personal story to inspire young people plus the skills learnt through sport to help increase young people’s confidence, self-esteem, engagement in, and attitudes to, learning, and improve their health and wellbeing.

Jonny Wilkinson, commented: “I’ve been fortunate enough to have some incredible experiences on the rugby pitch. I’m excited about passing on my passion and sharing what I’ve learnt over the years with Sky Sports viewers and young people in the next chapter of my career. I’ll be in impressive company as I join another successful team and I hope that I can play my part in the studio.”

Barney Francis, Sky Sports Managing Director, commented: “Jonny is a sporting legend. We all remember where we were when we watched that drop goal. Having been there and done it in every competition for club and country, rugby fans will want to hear his perspective on our biggest ever season of international and European rugby. I can’t wait to see him in action.”

Jonny retired earlier this year, after taking RC Toulon to the Top 14 and Heineken Cup title in his final season. He ended his career as the second highest international points scorer of all time and played a pivotal role in England’s famous 2003 Rugby World Cup win. He collected four RBS 6 Nation Championship medals, enjoyed Premiership success with Newcastle Falcons and toured twice with The British and Irish Lions. 

The Sky Sports rugby union schedule features over 360 live matches this season including Autumn Internationals from England, Ireland, France and Italy, European Rugby Champions Cup and Challenge Cup, Top 14, Guinness PRO12, IRB Sevens World Series, and women’s rugby.

The Sky Sports Living for Sport initiative has been running in partnership with the Youth Sport Trust since 2003. The free initiative is open to all UK and Irish secondary schools and over 90,000 young people will be involved this year. Jonny will join our team of Ambassadors, including Great Britain Olympic Champions Jessica Ennis-Hill and Darren Campbell, plus our Irish Ambassador Olympic Boxer Katie Taylor, alongside our team of 90 world-class Athlete Mentors.

For further information, please contact:

Sky 

Sky Sports PR

020 7032 1445

About Sky 

Sky is the UK and Ireland’s leading home entertainment and communications company.  Around 40% of all homes have a direct relationship with Sky through its range of TV, broadband and home telephony services.

Sky is the UK’s biggest investor in television content, investing more than £2.6 billion a year in channels such as Sky 1, Sky Atlantic, Sky Living, Sky Arts, Sky Sports, Sky Movies and Sky News.   Around two-thirds of Sky’s content spend is invested in the UK and Sky is the fastest-growing source of investment in original British programmes.  More than 30 million people watch Sky content each week.

Alongside its commitment to offering customers a greater choice of high-quality content, Sky is a leading innovator.  Customers enjoy total control and flexibility over their favourite TV through Sky+, watch TV on the move through Sky Go, and enjoy the best quality TV experience at home through High Definition and 3D.

Sky distributes its content broadly over several platforms, including satellite, cable, IPTV, mobile and WiFi.  NOW TV, Sky’s second consumer brand, builds on the company’s leadership in internet TV.  Sky is also the UK's fastest-growing home communications company and favourite ‘triple-play’ provider of TV, broadband and home phone.

Sky believes in making a wider contribution to the communities in which it operates by taking positive action on the environment, supporting grassroots sports and increasing access to, and participation in, the arts.  Sky employs 25,000 people, has annual revenues of £7.6 billion and is estimated to support a £6.0 billion contribution to UK GDP.  Sky is listed on the London Stock Exchange (BSY).

About Sky Sports Living for Sport

Sky Sports Living for Sport is a free initiative open to all secondary schools across the UK and Ireland that uses sport stars and the skills learnt through sport to help young people build confidence and develop life skills. It’s not about finding the next sporting superstar; it's about using these skills learnt through sport to change behaviours and increase academic attainment, whatever their athletic ability. 

At the heart of the initiative is our team of over 90 world-class Athlete Mentors headed up by our Ambassadors, Great Britain Olympic champions Jessica Ennis-Hill and Darren Campbell, plus Irish Olympic boxing champion Katie Taylor. The initiative is also supported by our Sky Academy Ambassador David Beckham.

To find out more about Sky Sports Living for Sport, please visit our website https://livingforsport.skysports.com/

About Sky Academy

Sky Sports Living for Sport is part of Sky Academy, a unique and groundbreaking set of initiatives that uses the power of television, creativity and sport to inspire young people and help them build skills and confidence.  At Sky, we want to use our position as a leading media and communications company to make a positive impact on society. So, to mark our 25th anniversary, in November 2013 Sky Academy was launched with an ambition to create opportunities for one million young people by 2020.  There are many other free initiatives that form Sky Academy, that your school and students can take part in.  

To find out more about these initiatives visit our website http://www.sky.com/academy