Billy Vunipola

Billy Vunipola

Full name	Viliami Vunipola
Date of birth	(1992-11-03) 3 November 1992
Place of birth	Sydney, Australia
Height	1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)[1]
Weight	126 kg (19 st 12 lb)[1]
School	The Castle School,Thornbury Harrow School
Notable relative(s)	Fe'ao Vunipola, Mako Vunipola, Taulupe Faletau
Rugby union career
Current status
Current team	Saracens
Playing career
Position	Number 8, Blindside Flanker
Professional / senior clubs
Years	Club / team	Caps	(points)
2011–2013 2013–	Wasps Saracens	39 69	(20) (80)
correct as of 29 October 2016.
National team(s)
Years	Club / team	Caps	(points)
2012 2013–	England U20 England	4 32	(0) (25)
correct as of 26 November 2016.

Billy Vunipola (born Viliami Vunipola 3 November 1992) is an English rugby union player. He plays at Back row for Saracens in the Aviva Premiership and England.

Early life

Vunipola was born in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.^[2] After moving to Wales with his family as a child, he was educated at Griffithstown Junior School, and subsequently the Castle School in Thornbury, England, and played junior rugby for Thornbury RFC before winning a scholarship to attend Harrow School.

Club career

London Wasps

While at Harrow School, Billy joined the London Wasps Academy. 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.

Saracens

Vunipola signed a contract in January 2013 to move to Saracens at the end of the 2012-13 Aviva Premiership.

International career

After representing England at U18 and U20 level, Billy was called up to the England Saxons Squad in January 2013. He trained with the England Squad during the 2013 Six Nations Championship and made his senior England debut during the England tour of Argentina in the test against Argentina in Salta in June 2013, coming off the bench to score a try in England's 32–3 win.^[3] Earlier in the tour he played in an un-capped match against a Consur XV, in this match he completed a hat-trick in six minutes.

England Head Coach Stuart Lancaster selected Billy in his squad for the Autumn Internationals.^[4]

Billy Vunipola was named man of the match for the Scotland–England and England-Ireland and France-England matches in the 2016 Six Nations Championship.

International tries

Try	Opposing team	Location	Venue	Competition	Date	Result	Score
† x3	South American XV	Montevideo, Uruguay	Estadio Charrúa	Summer International	000000002013-06-02-00002 June 2013	Win	41 – 21[5]
1	Argentina	Salta, Argentina	Estadio Padre Ernesto Martearena	Summer International	000000002013-06-08-00008 June 2013	Win	32 – 3 [6]
2	Italy	London, England	Twickenham Stadium	2015 Six Nations Championship	000000002015-02-14-000014 February 2015	Win	47 – 17 [7]
3	France	London, England	Twickenham Stadium	2015 Six Nations Championship	000000002015-03-22-000022 March 2015	Win	55 – 35 [8]
4	Fiji	London, England	Twickenham Stadium	2015 Rugby World Cup	18 September 2015	Win	35 – 11 [9]
5	Australia	Sydney, Australia	Allianz Stadium	Summer International	25 June 2016	Win	44 – 40 [10]

† Full international cap not awarded for South American XV Test match^[11]

Family

Vunipola's father is former Tongan captain Fe'ao Vunipola and Methodist Minister, Rev. Iesinga Vunipola (who is also Chaplain to the UK Tongan Community).^[12] 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, plays at prop for Saracens.

References

External links

• ESPN Profile