YOU may have heard of Saracens star Billy Vunipola and his legendary family.
Mako Vunipola also happens to be an England rugby player. Here’s more about their shared background.
Both Mako and Billy Vunipola were in Saracens
Where is Tonga?
The Vunipola family originates from Tonga, which is a small archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean situated in Oceania.
It lies directly south of Samoa and approximately two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand.
Once a British protectorate, Tonga achieved full independence in 1970, though it was never formally colonised.
The country lacks strategic or mineral resources and depends on agriculture, fishing, and remittances from Tongans living overseas.
Many Tongans reside in New Zealand.
It is surrounded by a number of islands including Fiji, Wallis, Futuna, Samoa, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Niue, and Kermadec.
How is Mako Vunipola related to Billy?
Billy is the younger brother of Mako Vunipola.
The 31-year-old began his career at Wasps, but currently plays for Saracens and made his England debut in 2013.
Mako is also at Saracens and made his England bow a year earlier in 2012.
They are also the cousins of Manu Vunipola, who is a rugby union fly-half for Saracens in Premiership Rugby.
Billy was born in Australia and Mako was born in New Zealand – and are the sons of former Tongan captain Feʻao Vunipola
He appeared at the 1995 and 1999 World Cup and moved to Wales in 1999 to join up with Pontypool.
Fe’ao and his wife Iesinga settled in the area and raised Billy and Mako in the country.
As a result, both players are eligible to play for Tonga, Wales and England – but opted to play for the Red Rose after starring in the youth teams.
The Vunipola family are originally of Tongan heritage
When Billy lined up against Tonga in England’s World Cup opener in 2019, he told the Evening Standard: “It will be the first time [I will have played] against Tonga if I’m selected.
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“It will be very emotional, even thinking about it now. It’s where we come from, where we grew up.
“It would be even better to play them in Tonga, that would be crazy, unreal. Hopefully, in the future, that could happen.”
However, he added that it was about winning, and “there are bigger goals than just playing against Tonga”.
What happened to Mako Vunipola?
In January 2024, the 33-year-old Mako retired from international rugby.
The England and Saracens front row made the last of his 79 England appearances against Ireland in March 2023 before missing out on the Rugby World Cup after failing to recover from a back injury.
Since making his England debut against Fiji in 2012, the loosehead prop has been a crucial player for the team, including in their journey to the 2019 World Cup final.
He also played in the 2015 tournament and was part of the victorious Six Nations squads in 2015, 2016, and 2020.
Vunipola took part in every Test match across the last three British and Irish Lions tours, adding nine more international caps to his record.
“It’s been an honour to have represented my country but all good things must come to an end,” Vunipola said in a post on Instagram.
“The time has come to step away now. There have been lots of highs and lows.
“Would love to thank everyone who have helped me along the way.”
Which country did Fe’ao Vunipola play for?
Fe’ao Moe Lotu Vunipola is the father of both Billy and Mako.
Born on January 6, 1969, he is a Tongan former international rugby union player.
He played in both the 1995 and 1999 Rugby World Cups.
In 1998, he moved to Wales to sign with Pontypool, and the following year, he joined Pontypridd.
In 2001, he transferred to the nearby Caerphilly team.