Will Greenwood

The son of former England international and coach Dick Greenwood, Lions and England centre Will Greenwood has played club rugby for Waterloo, Preston Grasshoppers, Leicester Tigers and Harlequins. He was the only uncapped player chosen for the 1997 Lions tour, which nearly ended in disaster when he was seriously injured after a tackle left him unconscious in the game against Free State. Fortunately he made a return from his injuries, and made his England debut against Australia in November 1997. Greenwood was named man-of-the-match in England's Six Nations victories over Scotland, Wales and Italy in 2002. Back to his best and a regular in the England side, his tries were central to England's good run of form in late 2000 and early 2001, and his contribution to the victorious England Rugby world cup winning team only went further to cement what has been a remarkable career. Here, for the first time, Will Greenwood tells his story.
From his childhood growing up in his father's shadow, to his determination to overcome huge personal loss to achieve his sporting ambition following the tragic death of his prematurely born son Freddy, Greenwood will reveal all; including of course, what it was like to have been a member of the team that will go down in sporting history, the 2003 England World Cup winning rugby team. He will give us unprecedented insights into how the team coped with the stresses and strains of the competition, and how he himself overcame personal fears after his wife Carol, pregnant with their second child, was rushed to hospital with complications - he flew home hours after helping England beat South Africa and returned to Australia in time for England's decisive matches, including the final against Australia. Greenwood will tell us what the atmosphere was like in the dressing room, both before and after that incredible final match, and also how he is coping with his new celebrity status, the unparalleled press attention and what it was like receiving his honours from the Queen.