Billy Vunipola

Viliami Vunipola (born 3 November 1992) is a professional rugby union player who plays as a number eight for Premiership Rugby club Saracens. Born in Australia, he represents England at international level after qualifying on residency grounds.[2]

Billy Vunipola
Vunipola representing Saracens during the Aviva Premiership
Full nameViliami Vunipola
Date of birth (1992-11-03) 3 November 1992
Place of birthSydney, New South Wales, Australia
Height1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)[1]
Weight126 kg (278 lb; 19 st 12 lb)[1]
SchoolThe Castle School
Harrow School
Notable relative(s)Feʻao Vunipola (father)
Mako Vunipola (brother)
Elisi Vunipola (uncle)
Manu Vunipola (uncle)
Manu Vunipola (cousin)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Number 8
Current team Saracens
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2011–2013 Wasps 41 (20)
2013– Saracens 178 (145)
Correct as of 28 August 2023
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2012 England U20 4 (5)
2013– England 73 (45)
Correct as of 28 August 2023

Early life

Vunipola was born in Sydney in Australia to Tongan parents,[3] but moved to Wales with his family as a young child after his father Feʻao Vunipola signed for Pontypool RFC in 1998.[4] He was educated at Porth Infants School and Griffithstown Junior School, playing for New Panteg RFC with Joe Lane. He subsequently moved to The Castle School in Thornbury, Gloucestershire, England where he played junior rugby for Thornbury RFC before being given a scholarship to attend Harrow School.[5]

Club career

Wasps

While at Harrow School, Vunipola joined the Wasps Academy.[6] He made his senior team debut in 2011–12 season and played 30 matches over two seasons before leaving at the end of the 2012–2013 season.[7]

Saracens

Vunipola signed a contract in January 2013 to move to Saracens at the end of the 2012–13 Premiership season.[8] During his time at Saracens he has won four Premiership titles in 2015,[9] 2016,[10] 2018[11] and 2019,[12] with Vunipola featuring in all four finals and scoring a try in the 2018 final against Exeter Chiefs.[11] He also helped Saracens win the European Rugby Champions Cup three times in four seasons; beating Racing 92 in 2016[13] and the following year defeating ASM Clermont Auvergne at Murrayfield to retain their title.[14] In the 2019 final Vunipola scored a try in the victory over Leinster at St James' Park.[15]

After Saracens were relegated from the Premiership due to salary cap breaches,[16] Vunipola scored two tries in the 2021 Championship play-off final as they overcame Ealing Trailfinders to gain promotion and an immediate return to the top flight.[17][18]

International career

England

In 2010 Vunipola was vice-captain for the England under-18 team that toured South Africa.[19] He was also a member of the England under-20 side that finished seventh at the 2012 IRB Junior World Championship.[20] In January 2013 he was called up to the England Saxons[21] and subsequently trained with the senior England Squad during the 2013 Six Nations Championship.[21]

Vunipola was included in the squad for their 2013 tour of South America and on 8 June 2013 made his senior England debut in the opening Test against Argentina in Salta, coming off the bench to score a try in England's 32–3 win.[22][23] Earlier in the trip he played in a tour game against a Consur XV, and scored a hat-trick of tries in six minutes.[24]

Vunipola scored tries against Italy[25] and France[26] during the 2015 Six Nations Championship as England finished runners up.[26] He was selected for the 2015 Rugby World Cup[27] and scored a try in the opening match of the tournament against Fiji.[28] A knee injury sustained in the pool defeat against Wales ended his participation at the World Cup.[29]

In January 2016 new head coach Eddie Jones included Vunipola in his squad for the 2016 Six Nations Championship[30] and he started all the fixtures during the tournament as England achieved their first grand slam in over a decade.[31] Later that year he scored a try in the last game of their summer tour of Australia to complete a series whitewash.[32] The following year saw Vunipola score a try against Scotland in the penultimate round of the 2017 Six Nations Championship[33] and he then started in the last match of the tournament loss away to Ireland which ensured England failed to complete consecutive grand slams and also brought an end to a record equalling eighteen successive Test victories.[34]

Vunipola was chosen for the 2019 Rugby World Cup[35] and scored a try in a warm-up match against Wales.[36] He subsequently scored a try in the pool game against the United States[37] and won his 50th cap in the semi-final victory over New Zealand.[38][39] He then started in the 2019 Rugby World Cup Final defeat against South Africa.[40]

After the World Cup Vunipola was a member of the side that won the 2020 Six Nations Championship[41] and later that year started for the England side that defeated France during extra-time of the Autumn Nations Cup final.[42]


British & Irish Lions

In April 2017, Vunipola was selected as one of the 41 British & Irish Lions to tour New Zealand in the summer alongside his brother Mako Vunipola.[43] However, due to an ongoing shoulder injury, he withdrew from the squad on 21 May 2017 and was replaced by England back-row teammate James Haskell.[44] Vunipola was not selected by coach Warren Gatland for the 2021 tour.[45]

Personal life

Vunipola's father is former Tonga captain Fe'ao Vunipola and his mother, Iesinga Vunipola, a Methodist minister in High Wycombe.[3] He is the nephew of two other former international players, Manu and 'Elisi Vunipola, who both represented Tonga in the 1990s. His brother, Mako Vunipola is his teammate with Saracens and England.

Career statistics

List of international tries
As of 9 July 2022[46]
TryOpposing teamLocationVenueCompetitionDateResultScore
1 ArgentinaSalta, ArgentinaEstadio Padre Ernesto Martearena2013 Tour of Argentina8 June 2013Win32 – 3[23]
2 ItalyLondon, EnglandTwickenham Stadium2015 Six Nations14 February 2015Win47 – 17[25]
3 FranceLondon, EnglandTwickenham Stadium2015 Six Nations25 March 2015Win55 – 35[26]
4 FijiLondon, EnglandTwickenham Stadium2015 Rugby World Cup18 September 2015Win35 – 11[28]
5 AustraliaSydney, AustraliaSydney Football Stadium2016 Tour of Australia25 June 2016Win44 – 40[32]
6 ScotlandLondon, EnglandTwickenham Stadium2017 Six Nations11 March 2017Win61 – 21[33]
7 WalesLondon, EnglandTwickenham Stadium2019 Rugby World Cup warm-up match11 August 2019Win33 – 19[36]
8 United StatesKobe, JapanKobe Misaki Stadium2019 Rugby World Cup26 September 2019 Win45 – 7[37]
9 AustraliaBrisbane, AustraliaSuncorp Stadium2022 England tour of Australia9 July 2022Win17 – 25[47]

Honours
England
Saracens

References
  1. "Billy Vunipola player profile". rugbyworldcup.com. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
  2. "Billy Vunipola club profile". Saracens F.C. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  3. Chadband, Ian (7 March 2013). "England v Italy: Vunipola brothers Mako and Billy want Mum to see their Sunday best". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  4. Pritchard, Dafydd (23 April 2020). "Billy Vunipola: England number eight recalls his Welsh rugby roots". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  5. Bull, Andy (16 November 2016). "From Tonga to Twickenham: Mako and Billy Vunipola's incredible journey | Andy Bull". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  6. Souster, Mark (7 September 2013). "Billy Vunipola hopes to confirm brotherly love for Saracens". The Times. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
  7. "Billy Vunipola exit surprises London Wasps boss". BBC Sport. 15 January 2013. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  8. "Saracens: Billy Vunipola & James Johnston to join next season". BBC Sport. 14 January 2013. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  9. Hassan, Nabil (30 May 2015). "Premiership final: Bath 16-28 Saracens". BBC Sport. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  10. Pilnick, Brent (28 May 2016). "Premiership final: Saracens 28-20 Exeter Chiefs". BBC Sport. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  11. Williams, Adam (26 May 2018). "Premiership final: Exeter Chiefs 10-27 Saracens". BBC Sport. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  12. Pilnick, Brent (1 June 2019). "Premiership final: Exeter Chiefs 34-37 Saracens". BBC Sport. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  13. Standley, James (14 May 2016). "Saracens beat Racing 92 to win first European Champions Cup". BBC Sport. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  14. Standley, James (13 May 2017). "European Champions Cup: Saracens beat Clermont 28-17 to retain European title". BBC Sport. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  15. Mann, Mantej (11 May 2019). "Leinster 10-20 Saracens: English side win third Champions Cup in Newcastle". BBC Sport. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  16. "Billy Vunipola says he is 'definitely staying' at Saracens despite Premiership relegation". Sky Sports. 25 March 2020. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  17. "Championship play-off final: Ealing Trailfinders 0-60 Saracens - Ruthless Sarries close in on Premiership return". BBC Sport. 13 June 2021. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  18. "Saracens 57-15 Ealing: Players 'showed faith in club', says Mark McCall as Sarries promoted back to Premiership". BBC Sport. 20 June 2021. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  19. Fordyce, Tom (27 October 2013). "England v Australia: Billy Vunipola hungry for England success". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  20. Feldberg, Alan (4 June 2012). "Wasps back row aiming to take his Junior World Cup chance". Bucks Free Press. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  21. "Six Nations 2013: England include Billy Twelvetrees and Calum Clark". BBC Sport. 9 January 2013. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  22. "Argentina 3–32 England". ESPN. 8 June 2013. Retrieved 11 June 2013.
  23. Henson, Mike (8 June 2013). "Argentina 3-32 England: Tourists brush Pumas aside in first Test". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  24. "Consur XV 21-41 England". BBC Sport. 2 June 2013. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  25. Fordyce, Tom (14 February 2015). "Six Nations 2015: England 47-17 Italy". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  26. Fordyce, Tom (21 March 2015). "Six Nations 2015: England 55-35 France". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  27. "Who's in England's Rugby World Cup squad?". BBC. 27 August 2015. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  28. Fordyce, Tom (18 September 2015). "Rugby World Cup 2015: England 35-11 Fiji". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  29. "Billy Vunipola spurred on by 2015 Rugby World Cup heartache, says John Mitchell". Sky Sports. 19 September 2019. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  30. "Six Nations 2016: Josh Beaumont in new-look England squad". BBC Sport. 13 January 2016. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  31. Fordyce, Tom (19 March 2016). "Six Nations 2016: England win Grand Slam with France victory". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  32. Standley, James (25 June 2016). "England beat Australia 44-40 in final Test to complete series whitewash". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  33. Fordyce, Tom (11 March 2017). "Six Nations 2017: England 61-21 Scotland". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  34. Fordyce, Tom (18 March 2017). "Six Nations 2017: Ireland 13-9 England". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  35. Jones, Chris (12 August 2019). "Rugby World Cup: England leave out Te'o, name Ludlam & McConnochie in squad". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  36. Grey, Becky (11 August 2019). "England beat Wales 33-19 in World Cup warm-up game". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  37. Fordyce, Tom (26 September 2019). "England thrash United States 45-7 in Rugby World Cup". BBC Sport. Retrieved 26 September 2019.
  38. Fordyce, Tom (24 October 2019). "England v New Zealand: George Ford recalled for Rugby World Cup semi-final". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  39. Fordyce, Tom (26 October 2019). "England 19-7 New Zealand: Eddie Jones' side beat All Blacks to reach World Cup final". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  40. Fordyce, Tom (2 November 2019). "England 12-32 South Africa: Springboks win World Cup for record-equalling third time". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  41. Grey, Becky (31 October 2020). "Italy 5-34 England: Visitors' victory proves enough to win Six Nations title". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  42. Henson, Mike (6 December 2020). "Autumn Nations Cup: England beat France in sudden death". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  43. "British and Irish Lions 2017: Sam Warburton captain, Dylan Hartley out". BBC Sport. 19 April 2017. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  44. "British and Irish Lions 2017: Billy Vunipola withdraws from squad with shoulder injury". BBC Sport. 21 May 2017. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  45. "British and Irish Lions 2021: Sam Simmonds in 37-man squad but Billy Vunipola misses out". BBC Sport. 6 May 2021. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  46. "ESPN profile: Billy Vunipola". ESPN. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
  47. "Australia 17-25 England: Eddie Jones' side win second Test to level series". BBC Sport. 9 July 2022. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
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