Billy Sela

Last updated

Billy Sela
Billy Sela LQ 2024.jpg
Sela in 2024
BornVilikesa Sela
(2005-04-12) 12 April 2005 (age 20) [1]
Hounslow, England
Height1.92 m (6 ft 4 in)
Weight116 kg (18 st 4 lb; 256 lb) [2]
School Beechen Cliff School
University University of Bath
Rugby union career
Position Prop
Current team Bath
Amateur team(s)
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2016–2020 Royal Wooton Bassett
Senior career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2024– Bath 13 (10)
Correct as of 3 January 2026
International career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2022–2023 England U18 11 (15)
2024–2025 England U20 15 (10)
2025– England A 2 (0)
Correct as of 15 November 2025

Vilikesa "Billy" Sela (born 12 April 2005) is an English professional rugby union player who plays as a prop forward for Premiership Rugby club Bath Rugby.

Contents

Early life

Sela was born in Hounslow, and is one of four children of Fijian descent. His father Ilaitia served in the infantry and the Royal Logistics Corps in the British Army before becoming a petroleum operator for the Ministry of Defence and the family moved to Wiltshire. His father also played rugby union for the Army, including featuring at Twickenham. [3] [4] Sela attended Beechen Cliff School in Bath, Somerset. Having first played rugby at Royal Wootton Bassett, he joined Bath Rugby Academy at 15 years-old. He later attended the University of Bath. [5] [6]

Club career

Sela was part of the senior academy intake for Bath Rugby ahead of the 2023–24 season. [7] He featured for the Bath first team in pre-season friendly matches ahead of the 2024–25 season with the Bath coaching staff confirming he was part of their first team plans. [8] He was named amongst the match day substitutes for Bath's Premiership Rugby match on 29 September 2024 against Leicester Tigers, making his senior debut as a second-half replacement. [9] [10] He was named in the Bath starting XV for his European Rugby Champions Cup debut against Benetton Rugby on 15 December 2024. [11]

International career

Sela was a member of the England under-18 side that toured South Africa in both 2022 and 2023. [5] [12]

Sela was part of the England under-20 team that won the 2024 Six Nations Under 20s Championship starting in every round. [6] [13] He also played at the 2024 World Rugby U20 Championship however Sela was injured during the tournament and missed the final which England won to become youth world champions. [3] At the end of that year in November 2024, he was called-up to train with the England A squad. [14]

In June 2025, Sela played for England at the 2025 World Rugby U20 Championship and scored a try in their last game of the tournament which they lost against Australia to ultimately finish sixth. [15] [16] Later that year in November 2025 he made his first appearance for England A in a defeat against New Zealand. [17] [18]

Honours

England U20

References

  1. "Billy Sela". Ultimate Rugby. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
  2. "Billy Sela". All Rugby. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
  3. 1 2 Morgan, Charlie (4 July 2025). "A generation of elite England props is emerging, but Billy Sela is most exciting" . The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 4 July 2025.
  4. Graham, Josh (1 February 2024). "Rising world". Rugby World. Retrieved 7 November 2024.
  5. 1 2 Jaycock, Ben (17 December 2023). "Young Guns: Billy Sela". The Rugby Paper. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
  6. 1 2 King, Ben (23 February 2024). "Billy Sela Exclusive: 'BUCS Super Rugby has prepared me well for these Six Nations games'". Talking Rugby Union. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
  7. "Bath confirm 2023/24 squad". Huge Rugby. 27 July 2023. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
  8. Heagney, Liam (19 September 2024). "The Bath prediction about Billy Sela, their U20s World Cup winner". Rugby Pass. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
  9. Newboult, Colin (27 September 2024). "Premiership: Anthony Watson returns after nine-month absence as fellow England stars earn first starts of the season". Planet Rugby. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  10. Darcy, Olly; Evely, John (29 September 2024). "Bath Rugby player ratings from Leicester Tigers victory – 'Reached a new level'". Somerset Live. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
  11. Evely, John (13 December 2024). "Benetton v Bath Rugby team news live announcements ahead of Champions Cup clash". Somerset Live. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
  12. "International watch: Sela and Treacey named for U18 International series". Bath Rugby. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
  13. "Under-20 Six Nations: England come from behind to beat France and clinch title". BBC Sport. 15 March 2024. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  14. Morgan, Charlie (6 November 2024). "Gabriel Ibitoye called up to England A squad for Australia fixture" . The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 7 November 2024.
  15. Raisey, Josh (19 June 2025). "England name squad for U20 world title defence with 8 champions returning". Rugby Pass. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
  16. "England 40-68 Australia". All Rugby. 19 July 2025. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  17. Newcombe, Jon (3 November 2025). "England A name 30-man squad for All Blacks XV clash". Rugby Pass. Retrieved 4 November 2025.
  18. Richardson, Charles (8 November 2025). "What Borthwick would have learnt from England A's defeat by All Blacks XV" . The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 4 January 2026.