Saracens have announced that Tom Willis will be joining their team for the upcoming season, which will lead to Billy Vunipola leaving the club according to The Telegraph.
The 23-year-old back-row prospect, currently playing for Bordeaux after leaving Wasps, will join the Men in Black on a long-term deal.
Willis, the younger brother of England international Jack, made over 50 appearances for Wasps during his Premiership debut in 2017.
He will finish the current season in the Top 14 before joining Saracens.
Willis is looking forward to making the move to StoneX Stadium.
“I’m incredibly excited to be joining Saracens, It is a great club with a fantastic playing and coaching group and I’m looking forward to being a part of it next season.”
Director of Rugby Mark McCall is thrilled to have signed Willis.
“We are delighted to be welcoming Tom to Saracens. He is a player that we have admired for a long time and we are confident that he will be a huge success here over the coming years.”
Vunipola, who has now earned 68 caps for England, recently renewed his contract with Saracens in 2021 before being selected for England’s tour of Australia last summer.
This came after his strong performance in the Premiership final, despite the defeat against Leicester Tigers.
Billy Vunipola facts:
- Viliami Vunipola, also known as Billy, was born on November 3rd, 1992 in Sydney. His father, Fe’ao, and his uncles, Manu and Elisi, all represented Tonga on the international rugby stage
- After being selected for England U18, U20 and Saxons squads, he earned his first senior England cap against Argentina in June 2013, scoring his first Test try
- Vunipola was selected for the 2017 Lions tour to New Zealand, but subsequently pulled out due to a shoulder injury. He was overlooked for the 2021 tour to South Africa
- He stayed with Saracens after the club was relegated in 2020 for salary cap breaches and helped them win Championship promotion in 2021
Steve Borthwick’s four wildcard call-ups include uncapped back-rower Tom Willis
As he prepares to announce his first England squad for the 2023 Six Nations, new head coach Steve Borthwick is facing the task of making four significant selection decisions.
The former England captain’s first match in charge will be the Six Nations opener against Scotland on the 4th February.
Reports suggest he’s made four significant call-ups ahead of the game at Twickenham.
#1. Tom Willis
It has been reported by The Telegraph that Borthwick has contacted the club of 23-year-old No 8 Tom Willis, Bordeaux-Begles, to inform them that Willis is under consideration for selection.
According to regulation nine, the law that requires governing bodies to sign a form for the release of players for international duty, Bordeaux-Begles expects Willis to be selected.
The back row position in the England squad has a high level of competition, but Borthwick’s decision to confirm Willis’ availability suggests that the uncapped player, who is the brother of former Wasps flanker Jack Willis, is a strong contender for the World Cup in France in September.
Follow Tom on Twitter: @tomwillis12
