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   | This biographical article relating to Tongan rugby union is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
| Birth name | Elisi Busco Vunipola | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 5 July 1972 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Nuku'alofa, Tonga | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 82 kg (181 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Notable relative(s) | Feʻao Vunipola (brother) Manu Vunipola (brother) Mako Vunipola and Billy Vunipola (nephews) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Elisi Busco Vunipola (born 5 July 1972, in Nuku'alofa) is a Tongan former rugby union player. He played as fly-half.
Vunipola debuted for Tonga in the match against Fiji, in Nuku'alofa, on 24 March 1990. He played the 1995 and 1999 World Cups, earning in total 6 World Cup caps. Although not taking part at the 2003 Rugby World Cup, Vunipola last played for Tonga in the match against France, in Toulouse, on 19 November 2005. At club level, he played for Sanyo, ACT Brumbies, Caerphilly RFC and Bay of Plenty.[ citation needed ]
He is brother of the scrum-half Manu Vunipola and of the hooker Feʻao Vunipola, both Tongan internationals. He is also the uncle of Feʻao's sons, Billy and Mako Vunipola, both England internationals. [3] He is the father of fly-half Manu Vunipola. [4]
| | This biographical article relating to Tongan rugby union is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
The Tonga national rugby union team represents the Tonga Rugby Union in men's international rugby union. The team is nicknamed ʻIkale Tahi . Like their Polynesian neighbours, the Tongans start their matches with a traditional challenge – the Sipi Tau. They are members of the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance (PIRA) along with Fiji and Samoa. The Ikale Tahi achieved a historic 19–14 victory over France in the 2011 Rugby World Cup, but having lost to New Zealand and Canada, were unable to achieve what would have been their first-ever presence at the quarter-finals.
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