- Date of Birth14 / 01 / 1991
- Lions Tours2013, 2017, 2021
- International CapsEngland (67 caps)
- Lions Origin SchoolsMillfield School Street
- Lions Origin ClubsSaracens, Clifton, Thornbury, Bedford Blues, New Panteg RFC, Bristol Rugby
With a third consecutive British & Irish Lions Tour under his belt after touring Australia in 2013 and New Zealand in 2017, South Africa 2021 saw Mako Vunipola complete a famous trilogy.
The powerful loosehead featured in all three Tests against the Springboks, coming off the bench in the first and third and starting the second.
Vunipola also featured in all three Tests for the Lions in their historic series win against the Wallabies in 2013 despite having less than a year of international rugby under his belt.
Aged just 22 at the time, Vunipola was an integral part of the Tour – especially after injuries to both Cian Healy and Gethin Jenkins – and started the second Test in Melbourne.
Vunipola then returned to his birthplace of New Zealand as part of the 2017 touring squad, starting all three Tests against the All Blacks as the Lions secured a memorable drawn series.
A member of an established Tongan rugby dynasty along with younger brother and fellow England international Billy, Mako made his Red Rose debut against Fiji in November 2012.
The brothers – whose father Fe’ao captained Tonga and appeared at both the 1995 and 1999 Rugby World Cups – have played together for club and country since 2013.
They won a domestic and European double with Saracens in the 2015/16 season and both started all three Tests of England's historic whitewash of the Wallabies in 2016.
The elder Vunipola was then ruled out of the start of the 2017 Six Nations with a knee injury but returned for the end of the Championship, making bench appearances against Italy, Scotland and Ireland.
That was enough to prove his fitness in time for the 2017 Tour, where he was due to be joined by Billy until his brother was forced to withdraw due to a shoulder injury.
A winner of four Premiership titles and three European Champions Cups at Saracens, Vunipola helped the club achieve a second double in 2018/19 following the Tour.
He also brought up his 50th cap for England in November 2017 – five years after making his debut – before playing a key role in the squad that reached the 2019 Rugby World Cup final.