Good genes? Useful connections? Or just sheer dedication? Whatever it is, some families just seem cut out for this sporting lark.
ARNÓR AND EIDUR GUDJOHNSEN
When Eidur Gudjohnsen made his debut for Iceland coming on as a substitute, no one would have been more proud than the player he was replacing. Eidur’s father Arnór earned 73 caps scoring 14 goals, while Eidur has so far 61 appearances and 24 goals making him Iceland’s top scorer. Sadly father and son never got to play together at international level.
RORY AND TONY UNDERWOOD
Former Royal Air Force pilot Rory Underwood used to put the fear in the opposition with his electric pace and ability to find the try line. So you can imagine the sighs of exasperation when it emerged Rory had a younger brother in the shape of Tony Underwood. Just like his older brother, Underwood junior was a speedy winger with both players representing England on opposing wings at the 1995 Rugby World Cup.
VITALI AND WLADIMIR KLITSCHKO
Here’s one family you won’t want to upset. Four years apart, Wladimir being the younger, the Klitschko brothers have dominated the heavyweight boxing titles. The Ukrainians have both been heavyweight World Champions, with Vitali’s 2008 defeat of Samuel Peter securing the WBC belt, meaning along with Wladimir’s world heavyweight WBO, IBF and IBO titles, the two brothers became the first pair of siblings to be World Champions simultaneously. However, don’t expect these two giants to square up to each other. Both have stated they will never step into the ring together.
VENUS AND SERENA WILLIAMS
More sibling dominance than sibling rivalry, there’s no more intimidating sight than the Williams sisters in full swing on a tennis court. Both Venus and Serena are superb athletes with phenomenal strength that they use to ping the ball around court. Venus has enjoyed success at Wimbledon five times, with Serena winning three, but it is the younger sister who has bragging rights when it comes to head to head. In the 23 times they have played each other, Serena has won 13 and Venus 10. Somewhat frighteningly, they also play doubles together.
GRAHAM AND DAMON HILL
During the 1960’s, English gent Graham Hill secured Formula One World Championships with two different teams. The first title came in 1962 with British Racing Motors (BRM) before repeating the feat in 1968, this time with Lotus. Then came tragedy when Hill was killed in a plane crash in 1975. Hill left three children, one of whom was 15-year-old Damon. After working as a labourer and motorcycle courier, Damon eventually secured a spot in 1993 for Williams. Three years later and Damon had fulfilled his destiny, by securing the same F1 title as his late father.
BOBBY AND BARRY BONDS
Only two baseball players have ever secured 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases in a record five seasons. One is Bobby Bonds; the other is his son Barry. Bobby Bonds enjoyed the majority of his success while playing for the San Francisco Giants between 1968 and 1974. Bobby unfortunately died of lung cancer and a brain tumour in 2003, but his place in baseball’s hall of fame is secured thanks in part to 332 home runs and a batting average of .268. Not to be outdone, Barry also enjoyed a fruitful career at the Giants finishing with a mammoth 762 home runs and a batting average of .298. Sadly for the Bonds family, Barry has most recently endured accusations of perjury and obstruction of justice following the BALCO steroid scandal.
STEVE AND MARK WAUGH
Australian cricketing twins, the Waughs are widely regarded as being one of the strongest cricketing brothers of all time, with Captain Steve being credited with skippering one of the best teams Australia has ever produced which included a world record 16 consecutive Test victories. However, despite both being formidable batsmen, each very much had their own style. Steve, the elder of the twins would grind out results, frustrating bowlers with his stroke play. Mark on the other hand was far more the entertainer, playing with an elegance that almost suggested laziness. Either way both cricketers boast extraordinary stats, with Steve scoring 10,927 Test runs and Mark an equally impressive 8,029.
GEORGE WEAH AND ALI DIA
Just to show that an athlete in the family doesn’t guarantee success, you only have to look at Ali Dia. While manager of Southampton, Graeme Souness received a call from World Player of the Year, George Weah offering the Saints first dibs on his cousin Ali Dia. With nothing but Weah’s word, Souness took a gamble and brought on Dia as a sub against Leeds United in 1996. The gamble failed to pay off when it became apparent that Dia was anything but a professional footballer. Souness hauled him off after 21 minutes, with Dia never playing professional football again. It later turned out that Ali Daei was no relation whatsoever to Weah, and the man that Souness had actually spoken to was an impersonator and friend of Dia’s. You couldn’t make it up.