Former ʻīkale Tahi half‑back Manu Vunipola, uncle of England international players Mako and Billy Vunipola, has died.
Details surrounding his death remain unknown.
Manu, 59, was born in Kolomotu‘a and became a key figure in Tongan rugby, serving for many years as a national scrum‑half.
He debuted for Tonga at the 1987 Rugby World Cup, appearing in the match against Wales in Palmerston North on 29 May 1987.
He later represented Tonga again at the 1995 Rugby World Cup, playing against France and Scotland in Pretoria.
His international career concluded with his final Test cap against Fiji in Nuku‘alofa on 26 June 1999.
Beyond his playing career, Vunipola also contributed to the national programme as a Tonga sevens coach in the early 2010s.
Rugby ran deep in his family: he was the brother of fellow Tonga internationals Elisi (fly‑half) and Feʻao Vunipola (hooker), and the uncle of Feʻao’s sons Billy and Mako, who went on to become prominent players for England.
News of Vunipola’s passing has prompted tributes across the rugby community, reflecting on a player who represented Tonga across three World Cup cycles and helped shape one of the Pacific’s most influential rugby families.
Further details are expected as family and officials confirm arrangements in the coming days.
