Vunipola will quit England with move to Montpellier
Billy Vunipola is set to join Montpellier next season and bring his long career with Saracens and England to an end.
The 31-year-old will become the latest England player to cross the Channel. Saracens team-mate Owen Farrell, the former England captain, has already said he will be joining Racing 92, and Vunipola’s brother Mako is also likely to leave.
Telegraph Sport understands that Saracens are close to confirming the signing of fly-half Fergus Burke, a 24-year-old New Zealander who has been Richie Mo’unga’s understudy at the Crusaders, to cover the loss of Farrell. Louie Johnson, the promising Newcastle fly-half and a former England Under-20 international, is to leave the Falcons and is understood to be joining Mark Mccall’s squad.
Mccall, the Saracens director of rugby, admitted on Wednesday that the Vunipola brothers’ long associations with the club were coming to a close.
“I don’t want to talk without them having completely finalised their plans. It wouldn’t be fair given what they have done for the club, but like I said they are coming towards the end of their time with us,” Mccall said.
Billy Vunipola has played more than 170 games for Saracens since he joined them from Wasps in 2013, winning five Gallagher Premiership titles and three Champions Cups so far. He played a pivotal role in Saracens’ European triumphs over Clermont in 2017 and Leinster in 2019.
The No8 was linked with a move overseas after being left out of Steve Borthwick’s plans for the Six Nations, having last appeared for England as a replacement in the Rugby World Cup semi-final against South Africa – his 75th cap.
Vunipola was overtaken for the England No 8 shirt during the tournament by Saracens team-mate Ben Earl.
The veteran will join a Montpellier back-row unit which already includes Sam Simmonds, formerly of Exeter. French rugby newspaper Midi Olympique said this week that Vunipola had agreed to join, having held video conversations with Bernard Laporte, Montpellier’s director of rugby.
The French club were previously coached by Richard Cockerill, who was sacked after just seven games last year, but they are still struggling in the Top 14. They are in 12th place, only two points above the relegation play-off position.