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London - England number eight Billy Vunipola dreams of challenging himself by playing American football in the NFL, he revealed in a British newspaper interview published on Saturday.
The Australia-born back row, 24, has three years left on his contract with English Premiership club Saracens and says he would like to swap the rugby ball for a pigskin when his deal expires.
"I'm at Saracens until 2019, pushing myself with
regards to international honours and seeing if I can represent England,"
Vunipola told The Times.
"It is hard as a rugby player to talk about stuff like
that (future career). (But) I really, really would like to go away and play
something else. I really want to try out NFL, just push myself and give it a
crack.
"If it doesn't happen then go home. It is a long time
until then and my mum will probably read this and tell me to shut up and
concentrate on one thing."
Asked if he watched the recent NFL games at Wembley, he
said: "No. I actually don't enjoy watching it, but I look at it, and
think, 'If he can do it, I can do it.'
"At the moment my focus is fully on rugby, but it is
something I dream about. It interests me. Their pitch is so small. That is why
they are so particular about movements and where their feet are."
Capped 29 times, Vunipola is in Eddie Jones's England squad for their forthcoming end-of-year internationals against South Africa, Fiji, Argentina and Australia.
