Itoje signed his first professional contract with Saracens in 2012, making his debut the following year. He received a call-up to represent England in the2016 Six Nations Championship. He has won fivePremiership titles and threeEuropean titles with Saracens. At international level, Itoje has been a key figure in three British & Irish Lions tours, and been nominated for theWorld Rugby Player of the Year three times.[4][5][6] With England, he has won aGrand Slam andTriple Crown.
Itoje reached 100 international testcaps on 19 July 2025, after making 93 appearances for England and 7 for the British & Irish Lions.[7]
Maro Itoje was born inCamden,North London to Efe and Florence Itoje, who were both originally fromNigeria.[8][7][9] He attendedSalcombe Preparatory School inSouthgate, North London at a primary level, before moving to board atSt George's School inHarpenden,Hertfordshire.[10] At St George's, Itoje was first introduced to rugby at the age of eleven,[10] and has cited 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."[11] Itoje later won a sports scholarship toHarrow School, aprivate school in London.[10]
During his time at Saracens, Itoje has won five Premiership titles in 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2023, with Itoje featuring in all five finals.[17][18][19][20][21] He also helped Saracens win theEuropean Champions Cup in 2016, 2017 and 2019.[22][23][24] In the2015–16 season, Itoje was also awarded the title of European Player of the Year.[25][26]
In January 2015, Itoje was called up to theEngland Saxons squad and on 30 January 2015 he made his only appearance at that level in a victory againstIreland Wolfhounds.[15][30] Later that year in May 2015, Itoje received his first call-up to the seniorEngland squad for a training camp prior to the2015 Rugby World Cup.[31] He was ultimately not selected for the tournament.[32]
In January 2016, Itoje was called-up to the England squad again by new coachEddie Jones for the2016 Six Nations Championship.[33] On 14 February 2016, Itoje made his Test debut as a substitute againstItaly.[34][35] In the next game he made his first start againstIreland and was then named player of the match in a victory overWales that secured theTriple Crown.[36][37] He played every minute in the last game of the tournament as England defeatedFrance to achieve their firstGrand slam for over a decade.[38]
Itoje was again instrumental in England's defence of the Six Nations trophy in2017, this time starting all five games as a blindside flanker rather than his more usual second row.[42] They retained the title however missed out on a consecutive grand slam with defeat in the last game away to Ireland which also brought an end to a record equalling eighteen successive victories.[43] The following year saw Itoje score his first international try in a defeat againstSouth Africa atEllis Park Stadium during the opening test of their2018 tour of South Africa.[44]
Itoje was included in the England squad for the2019 Rugby World Cup and scored a try in a warm-up fixture against Ireland.[45][46] He was named player of the match for his performance in the semi-final victory overNew Zealand.[10] He played every minute of thefinal which England lost against South Africa to finish runners up.[47]
Itoje was a member of the England side that won the2020 Six Nations Championship.[48] His performances during the tournament led to him being nominated for player of the championship.[49] Later that year he started in the final of theAutumn Nations Cup which saw England defeat France after extra time to lift the trophy.[50]
Itoje was included in the England squad for the2023 Rugby World Cup and scored a try in a warm-up fixture against Wales.[51] He started their quarter-final againstFiji and semi-final defeat to champions South Africa.[52][53] Itoje also featured in their last game of the tournament as England beatArgentina to finish third with the Bronze medal.[54]
Throughout the 2024 campaign, Itoje won 15 turnovers for England – three more than any other player from a tier one nation. In the same year, he was also first for attacking rucks hit, with 300, and defensive rucks hit, with 137.[55] That year he scored tries in defeats against New Zealand and Australia.[56][57]
In January 2025, Itoje was named as the new Englandcaptain, ahead of the2025 Six Nations Championship.[58] In February 2025, he earned his first victory as captain during 26–25 win overFrance.[59] In February 2025, he became the first England captain since Owen Farrell during the2020 Championship to lift theCalcutta Cup after a 16–15 victory overScotland.[60] Itoje scored a try in the last round against Wales as England finished runners up.[61]
Itoje was selected for theBritish & Irish Lions for their2017 tour of New Zealand,[5] as the youngest player named in the 41-man squad, aged 22.[7] He was one of the standout players on the tour, scoring one try against theMāori All Blacks.[62] He appeared in all three tests againstNew Zealand as the Lions went on to draw the series in the last game of the tour.[63]
On 8 May 2025, Itoje was confirmed as captain for the2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia.[66] He played every minute of the first and second tests which the Lions won to claim their first series victory for twelve years.[67] He was injured during the last game of the tour as the Wallabies prevented a whitewash.[68]
Itoje is 1.98 metres (6 ft 6 in) tall and weighs 110 kg (243 lb; 17 st 5 lb).[69] His nephews Brandon andAndre Harriman-Annous both becamefootballers.[70] He has expressed interests in politics and art.[71] Itoje is a practisingChristian and studies the Bible. He has also earned a master's degree in business.[where?][72]
In 2023, Itoje launched The Pearl Fund, an initiative aiming to gather funds to invest in the education of children inNigeria,Ghana, and other African countries.[73][74] In January 2025, Itoje voiced his support for theSix Nations to stay onfree-to-air television, expressing that rugby should be a game that is accessible to everyone.[75]
Note 1:Robert Seddon died on tour after a boating accident.Andrew Stoddart became captain for the remainder of the tour.
Note 2:Matthew Mullineux decided that after losing the first test that he should withdraw from further test matches, handing on field captaincy toFrank Stout, but remained tour captain. Note 3:David Bedell-Sivright was injured during the first test.Teddy Morgan took over captaincy on the field but Bedell-Sivright remained tour captain. Note 4: The team thatJohn Raphael captained was not selected by the four Home Nations governing body, but had been organised by Oxford University and billed as the English Rugby Union team. However, it was considered the Combined British team by Argentina because it also included three Scots. Note 5:Jack Jones was captain for the first test, butTommy Smyth remained the tour captain. Note 6:Bleddyn Williams captained in the third and fourth tests v New Zealand and the first test v Australia. Note 7:Cliff Morgan captained in the third test. Note 8:David Watkins captained in the second and foruth tests v New Zealand. Note 9:Michael Owen captained the Lions in the first tour game, the test vs. Argentina in Cardiff.Brian O'Driscoll was injured at the beginning of the first test against New Zealand.Gareth Thomas replaced him as tour captain. Note 10:Sam Warburton was injured in the second test.Alun Wyn Jones replaced him as captain for the third test. Note 11: Tour captainSam Warburton was named on the bench for the first test.Peter O'Mahony was the captain on the field.
Note 12: Tour captainAlun Wyn Jones left the squad for 17 days due to an injury in the first warm-up match, and was replaced byConor Murray temporarily.
South Africa
Ireland
France
Tonga
Wales
New Zealand
Australia
Fiji
