Mako Vunipola begins coaching role at Leicester while continuing playing duties

Mako Vunipola said on 13 November 2026 he is preparing for life after rugby by taking a coaching position with Leicester Tigers while still playing for the club.

The 35-year-old former England prop has combined his playing duties with a coaching role in Leicester's Premiership Women's Rugby (PWR) setup after returning to English rugby from a two-year spell in France with Vannes, having initially planned to retire. Vunipola, a former Saracens front-rower with four Premiership titles and three European Champions Cup winners' medals, has made six appearances for Leicester this season and was described as a headline signing of the summer for a Tigers side top of the early Premiership table.

Speaking to BBC East Midlands Today, Vunipola explained his motives for the move: "The rugby career is very short and it's time for me to start looking for what life looks like after rugby." He added: "I wanted to explore the avenue of being a coach, so when Leicester spoke to me about coming to join the team I let them know that I'd like to transition into coaching. And they've been kind enough to help me in that process."

Vunipola is working under former international team-mate Geoff Parling at Leicester, with the club noting Parling's own coaching pathway. Parling was emerging as a first-team player at Newcastle when he took on his first coaching job at university level, then later in his career, when playing for Exeter Chiefs, he worked with the Taunton Titans.

On adapting to a dual role, Vunipola described the experience as challenging: "It's a teething process," he said. "I thought rugby was just rugby and you just turn up and it's all the same, being a coach and a player. I had to quickly learn that it wasn't. It's been great to just be out there on the field in a different role trying learn how best I can become a coach." He also emphasised his immediate priorities on the pitch, saying: "We're in the thick of the season and I'm just enjoying every moment as much as I can when I get the opportunity to play."

Alongside his involvement with the first team, Vunipola has taken part in Leicester's preparations for the upcoming PWR season as a member of director of women's rugby Fraser Goatcher's support staff; Goatcher described his presence as an "extra set of hands". Tigers prop Ellie Smith said: "I was a pretty big fan. He doesn't know that, but yeah it's been pretty special. I grew up watching him, so having him as a coach has been a real privilege. And he has made a really big difference to my scrums. He has grown a lot as a coach. He was really quiet when he first came in, but now he talks all the time. He's really good at speaking with us girls and I think he's learned a lot about the girls programme that he didn't know before."

Vunipola, who earned 79 caps for England between 2012 and 2023, said he draws on the experience of several high-profile coaches from his career. "They are all great coaches," Vunipola said, referring to England bosses and other head coaches he has worked with. "The coach I want to be is someone that can take bits from their coaching ability and add to it what I can. But that's a bit of a tough ask."

While continuing to feature for Leicester and assist with the women's programme, Vunipola remains focused on contributing on the field for a Tigers side top of the early Premiership table as the season progresses.