Billy Vunipola Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Billy Vunipola

Vunipola representing Saracens during the Aviva Premiership

Full name

Viliami Vunipola

Date of birth

3 November 1992 (age 32)

Place of birth

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Height

1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)

Weight

126 kg (278 lb; 19 st 12 lb)

School

The 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

Senior career
Position(s)	Number 8
Current team	Saracens
Years	Team	Apps	(Points)
2011–2013	Wasps	41	(20)
2013–2024	Saracens	178	(145)
2024–	Montpellier	22	(10)
Correct as of 28 August 2023
National team(s)
Years	Team	Apps	(Points)
2012	England U20	4	(5)
2013–	England	75	(45)
Correct as of 28 August 2023

Viliami Vunipola, often called Billy, was born on November 3, 1992. He is a professional rugby union player. He plays as a number eight for the Top 14 team Montpellier. Even though he was born in Australia, he plays for the England team because he lived there for a long time.

Billy Vunipola's Early Life
Billy Vunipola's Club Career
Billy Vunipola's International Career
- Playing for England
- Playing for the British & Irish Lions
Billy Vunipola's Family Life
Career Statistics
- List of International Tries
Honours and Achievements
- Individual Awards
See also

Billy Vunipola's Early Life

Billy Vunipola was born in Sydney, Australia. His parents are from Tonga. When he was a young child, his family moved to Wales. This happened after his father, Feʻao Vunipola, joined the Pontypool RFC rugby team in 1998.

Billy went to school in Wales, including Porth Infants School. He also went to Griffithstown Junior School. He played rugby for a team called New Panteg RFC. Later, he moved to Thornbury, Gloucestershire, England. There, he attended The Castle School and played junior rugby for Thornbury RFC. He then received a special scholarship to go to Harrow School.

Billy Vunipola's Club Career

Playing for Wasps

While Billy was studying at Harrow School, he joined the Wasps Academy. This is a special training program for young rugby players. He played his first senior game for Wasps during the 2011–12 season. He played 30 matches over two seasons for the team. He left Wasps at the end of the 2012–2013 season.

Playing for Saracens

In January 2013, Billy Vunipola signed a contract to join Saracens. He moved to the club after the 2012–13 Premiership season ended.

During his time with Saracens, Billy helped them win many big titles:

He won four Premiership titles in 2015, 2016, 2018, and 2019. Billy played in all four of these final games. He even scored a try in the 2018 final against Exeter Chiefs.
He also helped Saracens win the European Rugby Champions Cup three times. They won in 2016, 2017, and 2019. In 2016, they beat Racing 92. The next year, they won again by defeating ASM Clermont Auvergne at Murrayfield. In the 2019 final, Billy scored a try when Saracens beat Leinster at St James' Park.

Saracens were moved down from the Premiership league because of some rule breaking. However, Billy helped them get back to the top league quickly. He scored two tries in the 2021 Championship play-off final. Saracens beat Ealing Trailfinders to earn their spot back in the top division.

Playing for Montpellier

On March 22, 2024, Billy Vunipola announced he was leaving Saracens. He had played for the club for 11 seasons. His brother, Mako Vunipola, also left the team. Billy signed a contract to play for Montpellier in the Top 14 competition. He started playing for them in the 2024-25 season.

Billy Vunipola's International Career

Playing for England

In 2010, Billy Vunipola was the vice-captain for the England under-18 team. They went on a tour to South Africa. He was also part of the England under-20 team. This team finished seventh at the 2012 IRB Junior World Championship.

In January 2013, Billy was called up to the England Saxons team. He then trained with the main England team during the 2013 Six Nations Championship.

Billy was chosen for England's 2013 tour of South America. On June 8, 2013, he played his first senior game for England. This was against Argentina in Salta. He came off the bench and scored a try. England won that game 32–3. Earlier on that trip, he played in a game against a Consur XV team. In that match, he scored three tries in just six minutes!

Billy scored tries against Italy and France during the 2015 Six Nations Championship. England finished second in that tournament. He was also chosen for the 2015 Rugby World Cup. He scored a try in the first game of the tournament against Fiji. Sadly, a knee injury he got in a game against Wales meant he could not play for the rest of that World Cup.

In January 2016, the new head coach, Eddie Jones, picked Billy for the 2016 Six Nations Championship. Billy started in all the games during this tournament. England won their first grand slam in over ten years! Later that year, he scored a try in the last game of their summer tour of Australia. This helped England win every game in that series.

The next year, Billy scored a try against Scotland in the 2017 Six Nations Championship. He then started in the last game of the tournament against Ireland. England lost that game, which meant they did not win two grand slams in a row. It also ended their record of eighteen wins in a row.

Billy was chosen for the 2019 Rugby World Cup. He scored a try in a warm-up game against Wales. He then scored another try in a pool game against the United States. He played his 50th game for England in the semi-final win against New Zealand. He then started in the 2019 Rugby World Cup Final where England lost to South Africa.

After the World Cup, Billy was part of the team that won the 2020 Six Nations Championship. Later that year, he started for England when they beat France in extra-time during the Autumn Nations Cup final.

Playing for the British & Irish Lions

In April 2017, Billy Vunipola was chosen to be one of the 41 British & Irish Lions players. They were going to tour New Zealand that summer. His brother, Mako Vunipola, was also selected. However, because of a shoulder injury, Billy had to leave the squad on May 21, 2017. Another England player, James Haskell, took his place. Billy was not chosen for the 2021 tour.

Billy Vunipola's Family Life

Billy Vunipola comes from a family of rugby players. His father, Fe'ao Vunipola, used to be the captain of the Tonga team. His mother, Iesinga Vunipola, is a Methodist minister. Billy's uncles, Manu and 'Elisi Vunipola, also played rugby for Tonga in the 1990s. His brother, Mako Vunipola, plays rugby with him for Saracens and for England.

Career Statistics

List of International Tries

Try	Opposing team	Location	Venue	Competition	Date	Result	Score
1	Argentina	Salta, Argentina	Estadio Padre Ernesto Martearena	2013 Tour of Argentina	8 June 2013	Win	32 – 3
2	Italy	London, England	Twickenham Stadium	2015 Six Nations	14 February 2015	Win	47 – 17
3	France	London, England	Twickenham Stadium	2015 Six Nations	25 March 2015	Win	55 – 35
4	Fiji	London, England	Twickenham Stadium	2015 Rugby World Cup	18 September 2015	Win	35 – 11
5	Australia	Sydney, Australia	Sydney Football Stadium	2016 Tour of Australia	25 June 2016	Win	44 – 40
6	Scotland	London, England	Twickenham Stadium	2017 Six Nations	11 March 2017	Win	61 – 21
7	Wales	London, England	Twickenham Stadium	2019 Rugby World Cup warm-up match	11 August 2019	Win	33 – 19
8	United States	Kobe, Japan	Kobe Misaki Stadium	2019 Rugby World Cup	26 September 2019	Win	45 – 7
9	Australia	Brisbane, Australia	Suncorp Stadium	2022 England tour of Australia	9 July 2022	Win	17 – 25