Club Name: Citadel Rugby Football Club

Country: Jordan

City: Amman

HP: NA

Facebook: facebook.com/thecitadelrfc

Twitter: NA

Club Name: Globe Immortals RFC
Country: Philippines

City: Manila

Twitter: 
http://www.twitter.com/GlobeImmortals

Facebook: 
https://www.facebook.com/GlobeImmortals

Club name: London Japanese RFC

Country: UK

City: London

HP: http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/londonjapaneserfc/

Twitter: NA

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/groups/8456167633/

Photograph courtesy of rugbyworld.com

‘That’s England’s Number Eight right there.’

Those were the words of the former London Wasps Number Eight; Dean Ryan, speaking about the Wasps current Eight; Billy Vunipola.

Both Dean Ryan and Pat Sanderson were reacting to Vunipola’s performance against Sale Sharks on Sky Sports’ Rugby Club. They were amazed at what the twenty year old had to offer and believed that he must be included in Stuart Lancaster’s Elite Player Squad for the Six Nations.

On the highlights package shown on the Rugby Club, Billy Vunipola made an outstanding break from the halfway-line; picking up from the scrum before charging into Sale’s Mark Cueto before being brought down five metres short from the line. This line-break resulted in a try for the Wasps (scored by Wales’s forgotten hooker; Thomas Rhys Thomas).

I must say his run reminded of the form Ben Morgan was showing last season. Remember Manu Tuilagi’s second try against France in the Six Nations:

Of course, I was intrigued after hearing such plaudits about the twenty year old to find out more and was surprised to find that he hasn’t yet got a Wikipedia page. I don’t think that we’ll have to wait too long for that though, going by what I saw of the player and what the two former back-row players on the Rugby Club had to say about him.

Unbelievably, despite making his debut for the London Wasps last season against the Harlequins at the end of January, Billy Vunipola was a late call up to the Junior World Championship this year. This is a mirror image to Joe Launchbury’s story, who was also a late addition to last year’s Junior World Championships. By now of course, he is an instrumental part of an England team that managed to beat the All Blacks in Twickenham in November, and last month’s Aviva Premiership Player of the Month.

Photograph courtesy of saracens.com

Of course, another young player who featured for England against New Zealand was Billy’s brother; Mako Vuipola. While we’re talking about Billy Vunipola as being England’s future, Mako is already proving to be the present, establishing himself with the Saracens, and in the England team. This, at only twenty-one years old – something remarkable for a prop.

Vunipola is not an English surname. The family name is a famous name in rugby especially in Tonga with their father, Fe’ao Vunipola,

Photograph courtesy of Ponty.net

having captained the national side and having won thirty-two caps for his country. Two of the Vunipola brothers’ uncles also played for Tonga during the 90s. Mako was born in New Zealand, and Billy was born in Sydney, Australia. The brothers also spent many years of their childhood in Wales as their father was playing rugby with Pontypridd, Pontypool and Caerphilly. In their childhood days, both Mako and Billy played in the same team as Toby Faletau – New Panteg RFC. Mako has already been capped for England. Meanwhile Billy is eligible to play for Tonga, Australia, Wales or England – but he has already declared his allegiance to England.

While Billy has always been with the Wasps, and through their academy, Mako went through Bristol’s academy, before signing for the Saracens in the Summer of 2011.

David Young, the Wasps coach says that he believes that Billy Vunipola is ready for the international stage. Who knows? In the Millennium Stadium on the 16th of March, we could be seeing two Number Eights playing against each other who learned the game on the fields of New Panteg RFC. I wonder who the New Panteg RFC supporters will be supporting!!

The Vunipola breakthrough has been staggering so far, and with the impact they’ve already had this season it wouldn’t be too much of a surprise to see the two Vunipolas in the Lions squad at the end of this season.

Here’s Billy Vunipola showing Sarra Elgan that he’s also got some moves on the dance-floor!

Club name: Tallaght RFC

Country: Ireland

HP: http://www.tallaghtrugby.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/tallaghtrfc1

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/groups/27376279314/?fref=ts

Club name: Glasgow East RC

Country: UK

City: Glasgow

HP: http://www.glasgoweastrugby.co.uk/

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/glasgoweastrfc

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Glasgow-East-Rugby-Club/152506174785903?ref=ts&fref=ts

Club name: Trimsaran RFC

Country: UK

City: Swansea

HP: http://trimsaranrfc.8m.com/homepage.htm

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/trimsaranrugby

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/trimsaranjuniors.trimsaranjuniors.7?fref=ts

Club name: Silema Stompers RFC

Country: Malta

HP: http://www.stompersrugby.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/stompersrugby

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/stompersrugby

Club name: Forgeside RFC

Country: UK

City: Blaenavon

HP: NA

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ForgesideRFC

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/groups/217557258309667/

Club name: Daveta Rugby

Country: Fiji

HP: http://www.davetarugby.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/davetarugby

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Daveta-Rugby/145552682168139?fref=ts

Club name: HSBC Penguins RFC

Country: UK

HP: http://www.penguinrugby.com

Twitter: NA

Facebook: NA

Club name: Randwick Rugby Club

Country: Australia

Province/State: NSW

HP: http://www.randwickrugby.com.au

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/gallopinggreens

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/groups/3027082577/

Club name: SCC Rugby Club

Country: Singapore

HP: http://www.sccrugby.com

Twitter: NA

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/groups/44197441318/

Club name: WP Rugby Institute

Country: South Africa

Province/State: WP

HP: http://www.wpri.co.za

Twitter: NA

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/wprugbyinstitute

Club name: Ponsonby Rugby Club

Country: NZ

City: Auckland

HP: http://www.ponsonbyrugby.co.nz

Twitter: NA

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ponsonby-Rugby-Football-Club/269224883107924

Club name: Flying Kukris RFC

City: HK

HP: http://www.flyingkukris.com

Twitter: NA

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/groups/38569820039/

Club name: Pyrenees Rugby 7s

Country: France

HP: http://ur7s.com/teams/pyrenees7s

Twitter: NA

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/PyreneesRugby7s

Club name: Casuarina Cougars

Country: Austalia

Province/State: NT

City: Marrara

HP: http://www.casuarinarugby.com.au

Twitter: NA

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/casuarinarugby

Club name: East Arnhem Rugby Union

Country: Australia

City: East Arnhem

HP: http://www.eastarnhemrugby.com

Twitter: NA

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/EastArnhemRugbyUnion

Club name: NS Wanderers RC

Country: Malaysia

Province/State: Negeri Sembilan

HP: http://www.nswanderersrc.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/nswanderers

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/groups/41701686568/

Club name: Tamariva RFC

Country: Japan

Province/State: kanagawa

HP: http://www.tamarivaclub.com

Twitter: NA

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/groups/278907212156826/

Club name: Northland Rugby Union

Country: New Zealand

Province/State: Northland

HP: http://www.taniwha.co.nz

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/rugbynorthland

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Northland-Taniwha-Official/134176376611635

Club name: Sunnybank Rugby Union Club

Country: Australia

City: Sunnybank

HP: http://www.sunnybankrugby.com.au

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/sunnybankrugby

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sunnybankrugby

Club name: Cobra Rugby Club

Country: Malaysia

City: Petaling Jaya

HP: http://www.cobrarugby.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cobra_rugby

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/groups/cobrarugby/

Club name: Gai Wu RFC

City: HK

HP: http://www.gaiwurugby.org

Twitter: NA

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/gaiwurugby