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Mako Vunipola on his new life in France and future clash with Billy
By Chris Jones
When newly promoted Vannes started selling season tickets for their Top 14 debut, more than 50,000 applied causing the club’s website to crash.
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The club’s president, Olivier Cloarec, had to issue a public apology for the failure of the website to deal with the rush, which is even more remarkable when you consider the town only has a population of 54,000.
One of the latest residents to arrive in the town is Mako Vunipola who along with wife Alex and their three children has decided to make Brittany their new home after a trophy-laden career with Saracens, England, and the British and Irish Lions.
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With Toulouse, the reigning champions and Investec Champions Cup winners, arriving to open the Top 14 campaign at the Stade de la Rabine on September 8, the sold-out signs at the 11,303-capacity stadium went up weeks ago.
It didn’t take long for Vunipola, who is working hard at learning French, to understand why so many people in the town and surrounding area of Brittany wanted those season tickets.
He told RugbyPass: “As you walk around town there are lots of Vannes rugby flags up and the club emblem is in the shops. If people recognise you they wish you good luck for the season. Every Friday we go to different local areas in Brittany for open training sessions and there has been lots of support at every one of them.
“As players, we have a massive responsibility to make sure we represent and make the fans proud. People who cannot get into the ground for the Toulouse match will be showing their support outside. Toulouse are a great club and you are basically playing an international side.”
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So, is Vunipola, the club’s big-name signing, responsible for the clamour for season tickets? “I wish!” came the reply from a player who won the English Premiership five times and has three Champions Cup winners’ medals. “We have an opportunity in this first match to show what we can do against the best and show the league what we can do.”
Despite his natural modesty, there is no doubt that Vunipola’s signing was a statement of intent from the Top 14 new boys who, much to the delight of the competition chiefs, have opened up a new area of France for the league. Vannes is located on the Gulf of Morbihan at the mouth of two rivers, the Marle and the Vincin with Nantes 62 miles away.
The nearest Top 14 rivals are La Rochelle 156 miles away, where Will Skelton, Vunipola’s former Sarries teammate, has become a local favourite under head coach Ronan O’Gara.
Vunipola, who began thinking of moving to France before the start of last season, is one of a high-profile group of English players who are now involved in the Top 14.
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They include former England captain Owen Farrell, who shared so many title triumphs with Vunipola, at Racing 92 in Paris, Jack Nowell is with Skelton at La Rochelle, Manu Tuilagi in Bayonne, Jack Willis with Toulouse, Dave Ribbans, Kyle Sinckler and Lewis Ludlam are in the Toulon squad while his brother Billy has joined Montpellier.
“Lots of boys have been in touch and Jack (Willis) sent me a message when I signed for Vannes saying if there was anything he could help with to contact him which was very nice,” said the 33-year-old who won 79 England caps and played in nine Lions Tests.
After eleven seasons together as Sarries teammates, the Vunipola brothers are now 580 miles apart. It will be the first time since Billy was at Wasps that the brothers will be facing each other. At least when the first meeting of the season takes place on October 12 in Montpellier, it will mean their parents Fe’ao and Iesinga do not have to split their time between Brittany and the Hérault to see their grandchildren.
Will it be strange to go up against his younger brother? “We message each other all the time and we will probably spend the whole weekend together when we play Montpellier. Now we are a bit older it is easier to play against each other, but it will be different.
“Being around each other for so long we took it for granted and it’s tough for the family with us being in two different areas of France.
“Around this time last year, I was figuring out how it would work going to play in France and I didn’t have too much idea of Vannes and where it was geographically. I am enjoying everything about the move and while the language is difficult my goal is to make sure I am competent at speaking French.
“In terms of the rugby, I am just diving in head first and my French teammates have been very welcoming helping my transition. Initially, I came out on my own to socialise with the squad and then my wife and children came out and the other wives and girlfriends have been great as we settle in.
“I am lucky there are Islander boys I have known before and Australian and New Zealanders – some who I had played against – and they have helped me adjust. In training the break for lunch is important and while we would be back after an hour at Sarries, here it’s longer and instead of finishing training each day at 2.30 we will end at 4 – 5 pm.
“At Sarries you do gym and then training on the pitch, here we alternate and so, for me, it has been a case of making sure I am in the right place at the right time. I am sticking close to as many of the boys as possible to make sure I am getting it right.”
The decision to move to France with wife Alex, sons Joshua and Jacob and nine-month-old Grace meant a new home and schools had to be identified. That has been put in place and Vunipola is excited about the opportunities for his whole family.
“The boys are six and four and they will be going to school and my wife knew I wanted to try something different,” he added. “Our children being able to learn another language was another reason to come to France and we are still sorting out the logistics of the way of life. We have rented out our home in Hertfordshire and we are renting just outside Vannes. It’s been interesting driving on the other side of the road here!
“This is a very historic area and the stadium is right in the centre of Vannes and is a bit like Bath. I want to add value to this team and this is a different opportunity and I want to make sure I am not just a bit part, but help Vannes stay in the Top 14.”
