Talismanic number eight Billy Vunipola will miss England’s autumn Test series after suffering a broken arm for the third time in 2018.
Here, Press Association Sport examines the Saracens forward’s wretched injury luck.
November 26, 2016: First knee injury.

Vunipola damaged knee cartilage in England’s 27-14 win over Argentina at Twickenham, forcing him out of action for at least three months – and out of the bulk of the following year’s Six Nations campaign.
May 21, 2017: Shoulder injury rules him out of British and Irish Lions tour.
Billy Vunipola has withdrawn from the British & Irish Lions 2017 Tour to New Zealand due to injury https://t.co/dCYFHxgeQN #LionsNZ2017 pic.twitter.com/a3MaMRvnCN
— British&Irish Lions (@lionsofficial) May 21, 2017
The ever-honest Vunipola withdrew from the summer’s Lions tour to New Zealand, owing to a shoulder problem he had been managing. Vunipola had desperately battled to cope with the injury during the Lions tour, but eventually gave up the ghost, admitting defeat and opting for further treatment.
September 23, 2017: Second knee injury.
Injury News | @bvunipola ruled out for 4 months with a knee injury
Full Info: https://t.co/ZsRtorvJHT pic.twitter.com/mJDTzyH8JK
— Saracens Rugby Club (@Saracens) September 24, 2017
Vunipola had barely returned to action after sorting out his shoulder problem when another knee concern sidelined him again. This time he limped out of Saracens’ 41-13 win over Sale, with another knee cartilage complaint. Surgery meant Vunipola missed England’s autumn Test campaign.
January 13, 2018: Breaks right arm for the first time.
Billy Vunipola has fractured his arm putting his #NatWest6Nations in doubt!
Read more – https://t.co/Mb0bj61qVS pic.twitter.com/IRI8OVSVnv
— Six Nations Rugby (@SixNationsRugby) January 14, 2018
The hard-hitting back-row forward was just starting to eye full form and fitness in a bid to return for England’s Six Nations, when another setback struck. This time it was the start of his arm issues, Vunipola breaking his right arm in Saracens’ 15-15 Champions Cup draw at Ospreys. Taken off at half-time, Vunipola was unable to feel his wrist. His fracture required surgery and he was forced to sit out the entire Six Nations campaign.
June 16, 2018: Breaks right arm for second time.
📋 SQUAD UPDATE | Billy Vunipola will return to London today after re-fracturing his arm during England's match v South Africa.
More: ➡️ https://t.co/q9eYtUKnO9 pic.twitter.com/bAxKoPk9K6
— England Rugby (@EnglandRugby) June 17, 2018
The bullish number eight was again out of action before the interval, suffering a re-fracture of the right arm six months on from the original break. England lost that second Test 23-12 to South Africa in Bloemfontein, and with it the three-match series.
October 14, 2018: Breaks left arm.
📰 | Nick Isiekwe, Billy Vunipola and Mako Vunipola are all set for spells on the sidelines.
— Saracens Rugby Club (@Saracens) October 15, 2018
Vunipola trudged off before half-time and sat on the bench icing his new injury, forced to watch as Saracens saw off Glasgow 13-3 to open their Champions Cup campaign with a victory at Scotstoun. The 25-year-old was later found to have broken his left arm – his third arm fracture of the calendar year – in an injury requiring surgery and likely to sideline him for 12 weeks. His latest setback would deprive England of one of their key attacking weapons once again, ahead of the four-Test autumn schedule.
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