Category: CÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½
Date: 19.03.2005
Printable version
Following the huge success of Beckham's Hotshots, World-Cup winner and England fly-half Jonny Wilkinson has teamed up with CÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ for a rugby skills series - Wilkinson's Hotshots - which will be filmed in the UK this summer.
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The special ten-part series will be shown on The CÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Channel in autumn 2005.
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The search has begun for eight children - girls and boys - aged between 10 and 14.
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If they have played the sport in a school team, youth club side or equivalent, they have a chance of being selected.
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To enter children need to send a video of themselves displaying the following rugby skills - kicking, passing, tackling and running with a ball.
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They also need to explain why they should be picked as one of Jonny's Hotshots.
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Jonny Wilkinson said: "This is a great initiative and something that means a lot to me. Helping children to develop their skills is very important to me. It is a project that I really wanted to get involved in.
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"The game has been very good to me and I am delighted to be able to put something back."
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Dorothy Prior, Controller, CÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½, said: "CÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ is delighted to offer some lucky children the opportunity to train with a sporting hero like Jonny Wilkinson.
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"CÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ viewers will also get the chance to pick up lots of tips and tricks from Jonny. We're sure that Jonny will inspire CÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ viewers to get more active."
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Peter Salmon, Director of ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Sport, said: "We are delighted that Sport Academy is getting involved to help find kids to take part in this programme.
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"Hits on the rugby part of Sport Academy went crazy during and after the World Cup. In both October and November the rugby got 3.5 million page impressions, compared to the usual 6,000 a month beforehand.
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"It just shows that when kids have a role model such as Jonny Wilkinson, they are inspired to have a go at a sport."
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Closing date for entries is Saturday 30 April, 2005.
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Notes to Editors
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Wilkinson's Hotshots is an Empire Media Productions production.
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Executive Producer for CÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ is Roy Milani.
