Vunipola feels ‘a lot of love’ for Pontypool locals who helped his family after arriving from Australia
Billy Vunipola still remembers the wonderment he felt at age six when he and brother Mako were able to see their breath for the first time in the freezing air of Pontypool, having just emigrated from Australia in the depths of the Welsh winter 20 years ago.
“We came in the winter wearing just shorts and a T-shirt,” recalled Vunipola, whose father Fe’ao, a Tongan international, had just signed for Pontypool. “We didn’t know what to bring. We were carrying knives and forks in our luggage – you probably wouldn’t be able to do that now.
“You know when it’s cold and you can see yourself breathing? We thought that was the coolest thing ever. We pretended we were like the old guys smoking, but it wasn’t cool when you were trying to go to sleep and it was still cold.”
The warmth of the welcome the Vunipola family received in the South Wales town, however, quickly eased the climatic and cultural shock. “We hold a lot of people in high regard in Wales, we have a lot of family friends, people who
helped us out,” said Vunipola, who will win his 39th cap for England against Wales on Saturday. “And when I say helped us out, I mean really helped us out.” The acts of kindness included providing extra duvets, pillows and jumpers. “It was those little things,” he said. “We were naive when we came over. Those little gestures, and big things – like helping with visas and my dad’s work permit.
“The kit man from the club at Pontypool, Terry Gordon, took pity on my dad and us. He has recently passed away, and we were at his funeral a few months ago. I called him Tiger. He was a great guy.”
Vunipola remained in Pontypool until the age of 11, when the family moved to Bristol. After winning a scholarship to Harrow he had to be “very clear” with his words in order to make himself understood. In those early years he also grew up supporting Wales, but Vunipola has a clear sense of his own identity now, having gone through all the representative age grades in the English schools system.
Yet his insight into Welshness and his fondness for the people means he will go into Saturday’s Guinness Six Nations Grand Slam eliminator in Cardiff with love, not hate, in his heart. “There’s a lot of
love for people in Wales. Where we kind of fall apart is when Englandwales comes into it, that’s when we kind of divide. That’s only once or twice a year and it’s nothing crazy.
“When you play the Welsh it’s always a very emotional game. We have to fight that battle as well, but I think love works better than hate because you have a clear mind. With hate you think everything’s wrong and it’s not your fault.”
Terry the kit man will be in Vunipola’s thoughts when he runs out at the Principality Stadium, but so too will be those in England who have helped him on his journey. “I had great people who brought me through the system. Funnily enough one of them works here with us now, Charlotte [Gibbons, England’s operations manager].
“I was in trouble at Harrow, and I had to do laundry duty as punishment on a Friday when everyone else had left, and Charlotte, bless her, drove me down to the camp after and I remember thinking how lucky I was to be given a second opportunity. All those little stories stick with me, so my allegiance is firmly with England.”