Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Aaron Flanagan

Owen Farrell's celebration is a heartfelt gesture from England star for charity

Owen Farrell has a special celebration which involves linking both of his index fingers as he holds his hands in front of him.

The England rugby star directs the gesture towards the nearest TV camera or band of photographers every time that he scores in international matches.

Farrell’s celebration has been seen regularly over the past 12 months or so - and there is a special meaning behind why it is performed in that way.

It is all down to the relationship that Farrell has with one of his biggest fans.

Eleven-year-old Jack Johnson suffers from Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a muscle-wasting disorder that will leave him unable to walk.

Jack Johnson is the inspiration behind the celebration (Joining Jack/Twitter)

Jack’s father Andy is a former rugby league teammate of Farrell’s dad, also called Andy, at Wigan Warriors.

His parents launched the Joining Jack campaign for research into the treatment and have raised over £2million to date.

The ‘JJ salute’ celebration is in tribute to the charity and involves the cupping of the two index fingers into a J and linking them together.

Farrell first performed the celebration at the Six Nations in 2014.

Farrell in action for England in the World Cup semi-final vs New Zealand (Getty Images)

After the first use of the gesture, Farrell described Jack’s battle as “a cause close to my heart”.

He continued: “If the cause touches you enough, it becomes part of your thinking instinctively, especially when you can reach out to such a big audience.

“When you understand the lack of awareness of such a condition, everyone has to jump on board and do their bit.”

Buy the official programme for the Rugby World Cup final for just £10 at reachsportshop.com

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.