Will Greenwood MBE

Will Greenwood is one of England's greatest ever rugby players as well as one of the sport's most engaging, intelligent, outspoken and witty characters.

In a professional career that spanned 11 years and 55 international caps he established a reputation as an unsurpassed midfield creator. The second highest international try scoring centre of all time, he was an integral part of England’s victorious World Cup campaign of 2003, a character and leader in one of the most successful team dynamics seen in recent times.

Since retirement Will has gone on to establish himself as one of the foremost voices in the rugby media; a renowned analyst, and one of the most intelligent and entertaining characters in the game.

Will spent his childhood in Italy and Lancashire before going on to study Economics at Durham University. On graduating he took up a position on the City trading floor at Midland Global Markets (now HSBC). Thrown in to a highly pressurised environment based on split second decisions, it proved invaluable experience for his subsequent career in rugby.

Having played for Harlequins alongside his day job, he committed full time to rugby as soon as it went professional in 1996. After a spell at Leicester, where he helped to bring home two Premiership titles, he re-signed for Harlequins in 2000 and played a key role in taking them to victory twice in the European Shield.

On the international stage Will was selected for the triumphant British and Irish Lions tour of South Africa in 1997, and during the 1997/98 season he made his full debut under Sir Clive Woodward for the autumn series against Australia. Despite missing virtually the whole of the 1998/99 season through injury, he was selected for the 1999 Rugby World Cup.

An integral part of England’s Six Nations victories in 2000 and 2001, Greenwood was also on scintillating form in England’s exhilarating Grand Slam win in 2003. In the crucial final game against Ireland, England swept away their opposition with Greenwood rampant in the midfield, scoring two tries as they surged to a 42-6 victory.

Under the inspirational leadership of Clive Woodward, Will Greenwood was then part of the World Cup winning squad of 2003 – a team that has become synonymous with attention to detail, clear thinking under pressure, trust, leadership and self belief. Will finished the tournament joint top try scorer, an achievement made all the more remarkable by the fact that his wife experienced problems with her pregnancy during the tournament, necessitating a dash back to England in the latter stages.

In the culmination of an outstanding career, he finally threw off subsequent injury problems to run out for the British & Irish Lions in the 2005 tour of New Zealand. In total he toured 3 times with Lions, in 1997, 2001 and 2005.

Throughout his 13 seasons at the top, Will was a dedicated professional combining a fantastic work ethic with a desire to continuously learn and improve his game. Despite significant injury setbacks and occasional moments of self doubt and personal tragedy his focus, determination and perseverance led him to the top of the national and international game.

Off pitch his focus has remained undimmed. With a reputation as a bright, articulate and entertaining personality he has established himself as a hugely popular and respected presenter for Sky Sports. Alongside a weekly column in the Daily Telegraph he has firmly cemented himself as one of the most insightful and intelligent commentators in the game today.

Will Greenwood's outstanding achievements both on and off the field have made him an ideal speaker choice for a wide range of corporate clients. His intelligence and easy delivery style mixed in with a generous helping of humour make him a sure fire hit as a keynote motivational speaker, event host or after dinner speaker.

Will’s keynote presentations on business are as incisive and thought-provoking as those in relation to his rugby career and the attributes required to perform in both professional arenas are central to his delivery of such talks, focusing on leadership, motivation and teamwork - themes that resonate across both careers.

In the modern era of professional sport there are few that can draw on experience in both business and sport. Will’s career as a trader at HSBC prior to committing to professional rugby has given him an unusual insight in to themes that permeate both fields.

The perfect storm of leadership, discipline, motivation and teamwork that led England to World Cup victory in 2003 provides an inspirational demonstration of what it takes to achieve peak performance, for a sustained period of time. A complete change in mindset and behaviours opened the door to a performance gear change.

Combined with the lows of injury setbacks, personal tragedy and self doubt it provides a gripping insight in to the studied determination that is needed to achieve in any arena.

Now an established and respected media voice he has stared retirement in the face at the age of 34 and come out fighting, proving that change management can come in all guises.

Will Greenwood’s outstanding career has furnished him with an endless supply of stories and anecdotes which can be adapted to entertain any audience, whether they follow rugby or not.

Key Themes From Will Greenwood’s Speeches Include: 
• Leadership (Vision, Environment, Removing Obstructions) 
• Trust/Teamwork (Unity, Standards, Spirit, Culture)
• Attitude/Confidence/Belief (Removing Luck)
• Attention to Detail
• Responsibility (TCUP – Think Correctly Under Pressure)
• Managing Change
• From Good to Great
• Sustaining Peak Performance

Combined with his natural sense of humour and timing, Will has established himself as one of the most in demand speakers around.

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Clients often ask about purchasing books for giveaways and delegate packs. Below you’ll find a selection of products by Will Greenwood MBE. Click the images to view on Amazon's website. For bulk orders, please speak with your Booking Agent.