Maro Itoje

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Maro Itoje
USO - Saracens - 20151213 - Maro Itoje.jpg
Itoje representing Saracens during the Aviva Premiership
Full nameOghenemaro Miles Itoje
Date of birth (1994-10-28) 28 October 1994 (age 30)
Place of birth Camden, London
Height1.98 m (6 ft 6 in)
Weight118 kg (260 lb; 18 st 8 lb)
School Salcombe Prep School
St George's School
Harrow School
University School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London
Notable relative(s) Beno Obano (cousin)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Lock, Flanker
Current team Saracens
Senior career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2012– Saracens 185 (120)
Correct as of 19 October 2024
International career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2014 England U20 10 (25)
2015 England Saxons 10 (25)
2016– England 88 (35)
2017–2021 British & Irish Lions 6 (0)
Correct as of 24 November 2024
Medal record
Men's Rugby union
Representing Flag of England.svg  England
Rugby World Cup
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg Japan 2019 Squad
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg France 2023 Squad

Oghenemaro Miles Itoje (born 28 October 1994) is an English professional rugby union player who plays as a lock for Premiership Rugby club Saracens and captains the England national team. [1] [2]

Contents

Itoje began his career in 2012 when he signed his inaugural professional contract with Saracens, quickly making his debut the following year. His prowess on the field earned him international recognition as he received a call-up to represent England in the 2016 Six Nations Championship.

Noteworthy achievements include five Premiership titles and three European titles with Saracens. At international level, Itoje has been a key figure in two British & Irish Lions tours, securing nominations for the prestigious World Rugby Player of the Year thrice. [3] [4] [5] Additionally, he has played a pivotal role in England's success with a Grand Slam and multiple Triple Crown victories, solidifying his reputation as one of rugby's exceptional talents.

Early life

Maro Itoje was born in Camden, North London to Nigerian parents. [6] He attended Salcombe Preparatory School in Southgate, North London at a primary level, before moving to board at St George's School in Harpenden, Hertfordshire. At St George's, Itoje was first introduced to rugby at the age of eleven, [7] with Maro citing Stuart Mitchell, a local volunteer rugby coach at school and club (HRFC), as being "a massive influence in my formative years. He used to drive me all around the country wherever we had the games." [8] Maro later won a scholarship to Harrow School, a private school in London.

As a schoolboy, Itoje played several sports including basketball, football, rugby and athletics, representing England at the U17 level in shot put. [9] He studied for a politics degree at the School of Oriental and African Studies in Bloomsbury, London at the same time as starting his rugby career. [10]

Club career

His senior debut for Saracens came in the 2013–14 season, aged 19 when he played against Cardiff Blues in the Anglo-Welsh Cup. He made his Aviva Premiership debut against Leicester Tigers later in the same season. Prior to this he had played for Harpenden at junior level (2005–11), then in the first team at Old Albanians, usually as a second row forward.

During his time at Saracens, he has won five Premiership titles in 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2023, with Itoje featuring in all five finals. [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] He also helped Saracens win the European Champions Cup in 2016, 2017 and 2019. [16] [17] [18] In the 2015–16 season, Itoje was also awarded the title of European Player of the Year. [19]

In the 2024–2025 season, Itoje was announced as the new Saracens club captain, following the departure of Owen Farrell. [20]

International career

Itoje represented England at U18 and captained the England U20 team in the 2013–14 season. He scored a try in every 2014 Six Nations Under 20s Championship game and was England's Man of the Tournament.

Also in 2014, Itoje won the 2014 IRB Junior World Championship with England, co-captaining the side throughout the tournament. [21]

Itoje was called up to the England Saxons squad on 21 January 2015 [22] and made his debut against Ireland Wolfhounds on 30 January 2015.

Itoje was selected for the England 2015 Rugby World Cup training squad [23] and received his first call-up to the senior England squad from new coach Eddie Jones on 13 January 2016 for the 2016 Six Nations Championship. [24] He went on to make his first-team debut against Italy and was named Man of the Match for his performance in the win against Wales on 12 March 2016. [25] England later went on to win the Grand Slam. Itoje also played a starring role in the summer series win against Australia, starting all three tests, and was subsequently named the World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year for 2016. [26]

Itoje was again instrumental in England's defence of the Six Nations title in 2017, this time starting all five games as a blindside flanker rather than his more usual second row. [27]

Itoje was selected for the British & Irish Lions for their 2017 tour of New Zealand, [4] as the youngest player named in the 41-man squad, aged 22. He was one of the standout players on the tour, scoring one try against the Maori All Blacks [28] and appearing in all three tests against New Zealand. The Lions went on to draw the three-match series in the final test.

He was again selected for the 2021 British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa, [5] which the tourists went on to lose in the closely fought third game decider. [29] He was again a standout player and was subsequently voted the Lions Player of the series by his peers. [3] At the end of that year, Itoje received his third nomination for the World Rugby Player of the Year award. [30]

In January 2025 Itoje was named as England captain ahead of the 2025 Six Nations Championship. [31]

Personal life

Itoje has expressed interests in politics and art. [32]

In 2023, Itoje launched The Pearl Fund, an initiative aiming to gather funds to invest in the education of children in Nigeria, Ghana, and other African countries. [33] [34]

Style of play

Itoje has been described by many as a hard-working player and also as a team leader, with many writers claiming him to be a "star player". [35] He is mobile and agile for a lock forward, with the capacity to get into wide channels, make breaks through his speed, and claim turnovers in the ruck. He is also outstanding in the air, whether in the lineout or open play. Many believe he has no real weaknesses as a rugby player, though some have argued he does give away too many penalties in breakdowns. [36]

Throughout the 2024 campaign he has even improved his turnover success rate at international level winning 15 turnovers for England throughout the year, three times more than any other player from a tier one nation that year. In the same year he was also first for attacking rucks hit, with a total of 300 for the year, and defensive rucks hit, with a total of 137 for the year. [37]

Career statistics

List of international tries

No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
19 June 2018 Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg, South AfricaFlag of South Africa.svg  South Africa 32–3939–42 2018 June rugby union tests
224 August 2019 Twickenham Stadium, London, EnglandIRFU flag.svg  Ireland 27–1057–15 2019 Rugby World Cup warm-up matches
313 March 2021 Twickenham Stadium, London, EnglandFlag of France.svg  France 21–2023–20 2021 Six Nations Championship
46 November 2021 Twickenham Stadium, London, EnglandFlag of Tonga.svg  Tonga 22–369–3 2021 end-of-year rugby union internationals
512 August 2023 Twickenham Stadium, London, EnglandFlag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Wales 14–1719–17 2023 Rugby World Cup warm-up matches
66 July 2024 Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin, New ZealandFlag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand 5–515–16 2024 England tour of New Zealand
79 November 2024 Twickenham Stadium, London, EnglandFlag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia 35–3537–42 2024 end-of-year rugby union internationals

as of 9 November 2024 [38]

Honours

Saracens

England U20

England

Individual

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References

  1. ↑ "RFU". Englandrugby.com. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  2. ↑ Meagher, Gerard. "Maro Itoje replaces Jamie George as England captain for Six Nations". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
  3. 1 2 Kinsella, Murray (9 August 2021). "Itoje named Lions' player of the series after impressing against Boks". The42. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  4. 1 2 "British & Irish Lions Squad Announcement". British & Irish Lions. 30 May 2017. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
  5. 1 2 "Lions tour: Results, try-scorers and squad". BBC Sport. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  6. ↑ Schofield, Daniel. (13 November 2015) England future star Maro Itoje showing with Saracens that age and experience are irrelevant. The Daily Telegraph . Retrieved on 2016-12-11.
  7. ↑ Coleman, Benedict Moore-Bridger, Liam (31 October 2019). "How England's Maro Itoje went from gangly teenager to World Cup giant". Standard.co.uk. Retrieved 31 August 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  8. ↑ "Maro Itoje interview: Things to know | Magazine | Vitality". 5 February 2021.
  9. ↑ "England's new thinking man's enforcer". ESPN SCRUM. 19 June 2014.
  10. ↑ Brown, Oliver (30 May 2017). "Maro Itoje – the thinking man's forward in the Lions squad – outlines manifesto for New Zealand success". The Daily Telegraph . ISSN   0307-1235 . Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  11. ↑ "Premiership final: Bath 16-28 Saracens". BBC Sport. 30 May 2015. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  12. ↑ "Premiership final: Saracens 28-20 Exeter Chiefs". BBC Sport. 28 May 2016. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  13. ↑ "Premiership final: Exeter Chiefs 10-27 Saracens". BBC Sport. 26 May 2018. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  14. ↑ "Premiership final: Exeter Chiefs 34-37 Saracens". BBC Sport. 1 June 2019. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  15. ↑ "Premiership final: Saracens 35-25 Sale - Sarries win sixth title in Twickenham thriller". BBC Sport. 27 May 2023. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
  16. ↑ "Saracens beat Racing 92 to win first European Champions Cup". BBC Sport. 14 May 2016. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  17. ↑ "European Champions Cup: Saracens beat Clermont 28-17 to retain European title". BBC Sport. 13 May 2017. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  18. ↑ "Leinster 10-20 Saracens: English side win third Champions Cup in Newcastle". BBC Sport. 11 May 2019. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  19. ↑ "Maro Itoje named European Player of the Year". Sky Sports . Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  20. ↑ "Maro Itoje announced as new Saracens Club Captain". Saracens. 26 August 2024. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  21. ↑ "Junior World Championship: England 21-20 South Africa". BBC Sport. 20 June 2014.
  22. ↑ "Maro Itoje: England Saxons call delights Saracens forward". BBC. 21 January 2015. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  23. ↑ "England announce Rugby World Cup training group". englandrugby.com. 20 May 2015. Archived from the original on 12 September 2017. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
  24. ↑ "Six Nations 2016: Josh Beaumont in new-look England squad". BBC Sport. 13 January 2016. Retrieved 13 January 2016.
  25. ↑ Super Maro! England star Itoje is a modern-day forward whose story Jones has to manage with care. Telegraph.co.uk (12 March 2016). Retrieved on 2016-12-11
  26. ↑ "Itoje crowned Breakthrough Player of the Year". ESPN. 13 November 2016. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  27. ↑ "Te'o try helps England grind past France". Sixnationsrugby.com. 2 February 2024.
  28. ↑ "Lions and Maro Itoje too strong for Maori All Blacks on niggly night". The Guardian . 17 June 2017. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 13 July 2017.
  29. ↑ "Lions suffer agonising late series loss". BBC Sport. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  30. ↑ "Maro Itoje: England forward nominated for world player of the year". Sky Sports. 15 November 2021. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  31. ↑ "Maro Itoje named England captain for Six Nations | Rugby Football Union". www.englandrugby.com. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
  32. ↑ Moloney, Charlie. "'I want success away from rugby' – Maro Itoje eyeing future in politics or art". Thetimes.co.uk.
  33. ↑ Purewal, Nick (21 June 2023). "Itoje interview: Pearl Fund will provide decades of support in Nigeria". Evening Standard. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  34. ↑ "Home". Pearl Fund. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  35. ↑ "Maro Itoje: The making of an England star - by those who know him best". The Daily Telegraph . 18 March 2016. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
  36. ↑ "England play down concerns over Maro Itoje's discipline". The Daily Telegraph . 7 November 2018. Retrieved 14 July 2019.
  37. ↑ "Rugby Pass Top100 Players". RugbyPass. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
  38. ↑ "Oghenemaro Miles Itoje". ESPN scrum. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  39. ↑ "Itoje backed to become 'world-class' after breakthrough award". The Times. 14 November 2016. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  40. ↑ "Maro Itoje of Saracens named European Player of the Year". ESPN . Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  41. ↑ "Saracens sweep honours at Premiership end-of-season awards night". The Guardian. 18 May 2016. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  42. ↑ "Earl and Itoje make BT Sport Dream Team". Saracens . Retrieved 26 August 2024.
Sporting positions
Preceded by England U20 captain
2014		Succeeded by
Preceded by Saracens captain
Sep 2024 –		Succeeded by
Incumbent
Preceded by England captain
Feb 2025 –		Succeeded by
Incumbent
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