YOUNG GUNS
When Chunya Munga lined up for his Premiership debut against Saracens in August, a couple of days shy of his 20th birthday, little wonder he found the experience surreal.
Four years earlier, Reading-born Munga, then a budding No.8, had been a ball boy at the 2016 Champions Cup semi-final between Saracens and Wasps, where he met his idol, Billy Vunipola. Suddenly, he was lining up against big Billy and the rest of Saracens’ galacticos.
Having racked up a further four Premiership appearances since then, Munga explains: “It’s something I’ll never forget and it’s been crazy to be honest. When you’re young you never expect to play as often in the top-flight so it’s been a hell of an experience and a real honour.
“I made my debut against Saracens and that was an unbelievable experience coming up against some of the best players in the world. You analyse them and they’ve obviously played in huge games for club, country and the Lions, so to get a feel for how they play was fantastic.
“When I was 15 my school was lucky enough to provide the ball boys for the Champions Cup semi-final at the Madejski Stadium. I was a No.8 back then so
Billy Vunipola was obviously a guy I really liked to watch. To meet him afterwards was pretty special, but then to actually make my debut against him was quite surreal. I went home afterwards and my mum cooked me my favourite coleslaw, chicken and coconut rice so it was just an unbelievable day all round.”
Munga added: “Maro Itoje played that day as well and I was so lucky to get to play against those guys and see their professionalism. We all know about their workrate and determination, but to be able to play against that experience was something else. Maro’s someone a lot of young second rows like to model their game on and it was awesome to play against him.”
Munga’s progress comes as no surprise, as he played his junior rugby for the same Reading Abbey club that produced the Willis brothers at Wasps, Jack and Tom. He says: “Those boys are on fire and it’s just awesome for us to come from a grassroots club like Abbey. I still go back there when I can and remember the times when I was a kid there chucking ball about.”
Having already been capped at U18 and U20s level by England, Munga’s career is on an upwards trajectory, but there is no sense of entitlement. He added: “I’m young and it’s still very much about learning and taking every opportunity I can. I just want to keep my head down and learn from guys like Adam Coleman, who’s been a massive influence around the club.
“Another massive guy for me is Jon Fisher, who coached me through the academy from when I was 16. He wears his heart on his sleeve and goes the extra mile for you.”