News

On Friday 29 January 2021, Samuel Ryder Sports Academy and young talent programme students excitedly took their seats at home ready to virtually meet the awesome professional rugby union player, Billy Vunipola, who plays at number 8 for Saracens in the English Premiership and for the England national team.

Led by Head of PE, Mr Pike, students were treated to the virtual Q and A session which gave them the opportunity to hear all about Billy's rugby career, his motivations and how things have changed for him during lockdown.

The 45 minute session via Microsoft Teams, kicked off (pun intended!) with Billy explaining to the students how he came to love Rugby through his dad - a huge inspiration in his life who also enjoyed a successful rugby career in Tonga, where Billy's parents are from. 

The students learned that Billy moved to the UK in 1999 with his family to start a new adventure, first moving to Wales and then settling in England.  After being spotted playing rugby at school, Billy went on to tell the students all about his transition into professional rugby which led to his England debut explaining that he felt a mix of nerves and emotions when receiving his first cap.

After discussing what he thought was the secret to the Saracen team's success (a great team of coaches, lots of hard work and building strong relationships on and off the pitch), how he misses playing in front of a packed stadium and dealing with an injury set back in his career, it was time for students to ask their questions.

The below is a snippet of Billy's answers on the day.  Billy spent time answering each question in more detail with each student.

Charlie B: Who inspired you to start playing?

BV: My dad and uncles played rugby.  Growing up we spent a lot of time with my dad.  I always wanted to be my dad.

Ines: Who has been your favourite coach?

BV: Peter Walton who coached me in the U18 programme -  he is a great coach and a close friend.

Izzy: How has your lifestyle and training programme changed since lockdown?

BV: Massively!  As a team we like to eat out together and socialise which cannot happen at the moment.  Now, I am spending more time at home taking lots of walks in the park.  Training has also changed as we have lots of protocols in place including testing - it's important to stick to the rules.

Carys: What is the atmosphere like during Six Nations?

BV:  The atmosphere is great.  It's very different playing home to playing away, there's a different mental aspect of the game when away.   During away matches it can feel hostile, but I enjoy the challenge.  

Emily:  What's your diet when you have a match and how does it compare to when you're not competing?

BV: My diet is quite consistent.  I eat lots of protein and vegetables with fewer carbohydrates.  Leading up to matches I will introduce more carbohydrates, like pasta.  

Jamie: What training techniques do you like the most?

BV: I like to take on training that is a good foundation for my sport and is the most beneficial for the body, for me at the moment, it's running. It's also important to eat well because you can train hard but if you eat badly, you're throwing all that hard work out of the window.

Lilia: How do you integrate new players quickly and efficiently into the team?

BV:   We build strong relationships and learn from working together.  It's important to be open and honest in our team and we take time to get to know each other.  We take on a 'do your best for the team' approach.

Joe: How did you feel when you got picked for the final team in the World Cup?

BV:  Once I got the call, I knew that I would need to train well and be grateful for the opportunity. We all did well in training, so I had confidence going into that week.

Harry: What is your highlight from playing for your club or country?

BV: 2016 was a great year, Saracens won 2 championships, England won the grand slam in France and also beat Australia in the Test series 3-0.  There are lots of great memories playing with my team and from the trips I took that year.

Luca: What inspires or motivates you to improve your game?

BV:  One, my love of Rugby which has turned into a profession that provides for my family so I it's important for me to keep focused and, two, I want to be at the top of my game and be the best at what I do. 

Mr Pike: With your brother also playing professional rugby, is there any sibling rivalry there?

BV: No, actually, there's none of that - we celebrate each others successes and want each other to do well.

Matthew: What's the max number of dead lifts or back squats you can do?

BV: Back squats - I would say on the box, I can do 250 for 3 reps and with no box 180 for 3 reps.

 

Samuel Ryder Sports Academy would like to thank Billy Vunipola and Rugby England for taking the time to talk to our students and players.  It was truly an inspirational session and many of us are still pinching ourselves that we had the opportunity to speak to a professional sportsperson at the top of their game!  We wish you the best of luck in the Six Nations.