Inside the rise of the Vunipola brothers: How the sons of two preachers from a Tongan village started life in Britain on a building site before becoming international rugby stars - as no8 Billy is arrested after 'violent incident' at Spanish bar

When Mako and Billy Vunipola arrived in the UK as children after a 10,000-mile journey from Tonga, their immediate reaction was a familiar one: it's cold.

Perhaps not synonymous with the tough rugby player stereotype that has seen four generations of their family play the sport internationally, but it was January in London.

Where they moved in 1998 was by no means glamorous, 'the only house on a building site', but these were two brothers, it seemed, meant to follow in their family's footsteps and go on to represent England.

But Billy hit the headlines this week when it was claimed that the 31-year-old sportsman has been arrested after a violent incident at a pub in Majorca during which he slapped a police officer.

He had to be Tasered twice after police rushed to a bar called Epic in the island capital Palma at 4.30am on Sunday morning following calls from security staff.

The rugby star has claimed that the incident was 'a misunderstanding' and that the case has now been closed following an express trial and fine.

A statement released on his behalf said '[I] unreservedly apologise for any inconvenience'. 

Mako and Billy are the fourth generation of their family to play rugby at an international level - but they come from humble origins and were born to two preachers from a Tongan village.

Their father Fe'ao, grandfather Sione and great-grandfather Viliami all played for Tonga, but the brothers opted to play for England instead.

Their father and uncle both played for Tonga and their cousin Taupe Faletau has been capped by Wales and British and Irish Lions. 

The Vunipola family came to Britain in January 1998 and first lived in Pontypool in Wales, when the brothers were ages just six and eight. 

They moved 'into the only house on a building site' and felt quite isolated, the brothers said previously.

Their grandfather wanted his family to enjoy a more prosperous life in a country that offered so much more than the village of Nuku'alofa, and both Billy and Mako realised this dream by finding success in sport.

Big brother Mako, 33, has kept a fraternal eye over Billy, in school and on the rugby field. 

Mako was born in New Zealand and Billy in Australia, but they both come from Tongan lineage.

Their father, a former Tonga captain, played out his rugby days with Pontypool and Pontypridd, where the boys grew up.

After moving to Bristol, scholarships to Millfield and Harrow not only saw Mako and Billy separated but also removed any lingering allegiance to Wales — and once they both began to appear for England age group teams their ties were fully with their new country.

In January, Mako announced his retirement from international rugby. 

The prop made 79 appearances for England and also earned nine caps with the British and Irish Lions.

But he continued to play club rugby for Premiership side Saracens.

His made his England debut against Fiji in 2012 and was part of his country's victorious Six Nations squads in 2015, 2016 and 2020.

Meanwhile, his little brother Billy was born in Sydney. After his father signed for Pontypool RFC in 1998, he moved to Wales with his family as a young child.

Like his brother, he played for New Pantleg RFC.

He later moved to The Castle School in Thornbury, Gloucestershire, where he played junior rugby before winning a scholarship to Harrow School, and whilst there, was picked by Wasps Academy where he made his senior debut aged 18.

Billy made his senior team debut in 2011 and played 30 matches over two seasons.

In 2013, he signed a contract to move to Saracens. During his time there, he's won four Premiership titles in 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019.

He helped them win the European Rugby Champions Cup three times in four seasons.

In the 2019 final, Billy scored a try in the victory against Leinster at St James' Park.

In 2021, he scored two tried in the Championship play-off final as they overcame Ealing Trailfinders in a triumphant return to the top flight. 

But the 6ft 2in tall professional, who weighs nearly 20 stone, was arrested and Tasered by police this weekend.

He is said to have been unaffected by the first Taser volt police used on him after clearing the bar so they could try to resolve the situation.

They overpowered him and handcuffed him after using a Taser for the second time after Vunipola had reportedly challenged the officers and flexed his muscles.

Vunipola was taken to nearby Son Espases Hospital after being held where he had to be sedated and bound to his bed.

Until the medication took effect several security guards and police officers had to watch over him.

He was taken to court on Sunday, wearing the same blue T-shirt and beige shorts he was arrested in, following the incident in the early hours.

He was later hauled in front of a judge for questioning before being released on conditional bail pending an ongoing probe. His whereabouts this morning was unclear. 

A spokesman for the National Police in Majorca, in their first formal comment on the arrest, said: 'In the early hours of yesterday morning, at 4.30am, we arrested a 31-year-old foreign man on suspicion of a crime of disobedience and assaulting a police officer.

'The events took place in a leisure establishment on the seafront in Palma, when a man was causing altercations inside the establishment.

'The man would not listen to reason and confronted the rest of the customers, and the security staff were unable to restrain him or remove him from the premises.

'The police were alerted and the officers, on seeing the man, who was shirtless and making gestures with his hands, cleared the premises.

'It was then that he confronted the police and attempted to assault the officers.

'The police officers tried at all times to get him to calm down, but the man would not listen to reason.

'At that moment, the man pushed and slapped an officer and a policeman pulled out his electric stun gun and fired a first time although the gun didn't discharge.

'A second projectile was then fired, which did the job, and it was then that the officers jumped on him and proceeded to immobilise him by shackling him, later taking him to Son Espases hospital for assessment and arrest.

'Yesterday afternoon he was taken to court and released on bail pending an ongoing investigation.'

The taser used against the England didn't discharge the first time because the shot fired hit his wallet, police said today. 

A Saracens club statement read: 'Saracens is aware of an incident involving Billy Vunipola in Majorca.

'We will of course deal with this incident internally, and will not make any further comment until then.'

Billy, who police said had been tasered and arrested after allegedly assaulting a police officer, said in a statement today: 'I can confirm I was involved in an unfortunate misunderstanding when I was leaving a club in Mallorca on Sunday, which got out of hand.

'Contrary to media reports, there was no violence, no fight and I did not threaten anybody at any stage, with bottles or chairs or anything else. I was charged with resisting the law and, following an 'express trial', I have paid a fine of 240 euros.

'The Spanish police investigation is now closed, and I am flying back to the UK today. I will obviously cooperate with the Saracens internal process and unreservedly apologise for any inconvenience to all involved.'

A court official on the island, speaking on condition of anonymity, said this afternoon after island police revealed in a written statement the man they held had been released but was still facing an ongoing court probe: 'The issue was actually resolved by way of a speedy trial.'

Speaking previously about when he first came to the UK, Billy said: 'I was eight years old and all I can remember from that first day in the UK was how cold it was,' said Mako. 'We moved into the only house on a building site and felt isolated, but once we started school and played rugby we began to make friends. We were both young enough to roll with it.'

From that point onwards Mako has kept a fraternal eye over Billy, in school and on the rugby field.

'He's always been my big brother and always will be,' said Billy. 'It is very much our culture to respect our elders and so what Mako says goes with me, even if I don't always agree. Even now when we play for Sarries we keep half an eye on each other during the game to make sure we're OK.

'It's always been all right for Mako to beat me up — we used to have terrible fights as kids as all siblings do, and he always used to win because although I've been bigger than him for a while, he's always been stronger — but if someone else tries it, then he's got the other brother to deal with, too.'

'My parents gave up a lot when they moved from Tonga but they were desperate to make it work,' said Mako. 'At one point my father was on the verge of returning home but my grandfather, who is no longer with us, insisted he stayed.

'I think that's why if we both play this autumn it will be so special, because the whole family want to give something back to a country that has been so good for us. And, don't forget, it was just a dream two generations ago that may become reality.'

'Billy's cleaner than me,' said Mako, who lived with his brother, three Tongan cousins and the Sarries Northern Irish player Eoin Sheriff in a house in St Albans. 'He likes to clean up the house, in fact. And he likes to give you some chat back, which is irritating. But he's done well since he came to Sarries in the summer, lost a lot of fat and settled into the culture a lot quicker than I did.'

Billy added: 'Mako can be more negative than me but I'd also say he's a nicer person than me. He thinks he's always right and I just have to take it on the chin. He's also more generous than me but, then again, he's got more money.'

'We'll go to Mum's church and say our prayers that God has been so good to us all,' said Mako. 'As kids we were told our main priorities were church, school and rugby, although I confess rugby went up that list a little for us. And that's when we'll reflect on our fore-fathers and the journey that has led to this. The Vunipolas have come a long way, and I don't just mean on a map.'