Who is Lions' captain Maro Itoje's wife Mimi?
THE British and Irish Lions embark on a world tour every four years, which kicks off against Argentina in Dublin on June 20, 2025.
Here we get to know captain
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Maro Itoje is married to Mimi Itoje (née Fall)
Credit: Instagram/mimiitoje
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Like her husband, Mimi works as a model
Credit: Instagram/mimiitoje
Who is Maro Itoje's wife Mimi?
Mimi Itoje is a model and artist who is married to England rugby captain Maro Itoje.
In addition to rugby, Maro sometimes also works as a model.
He's appeared on the cover of Tatler alongside
It's understood the couple met during a shoot.
read more on maro itoje
She has been represented by London-based agencies including W Management.
On top of her modelling career, Mimi is an artist — she creates acrylic on canvas paintings incorporating cultural themes.
Mimi shared the happy news on Instagram alongside snaps of her dazzling ring, which she captioned and the caption: "Mrs I to be."
Most read in Rugby Union
Maro subsequently described the moment to the Daily Mail, saying: "We went to this beautiful aqua-safari in Ada, which is on the coast, about two hours from Accra.
"It was a beautiful resort, and I popped the question there."
England captain Maro Itoje hopeful for 'classy operator' Fin Smith starting against France in the Six Nations
The couple married less than a month before the Lions tour kicks off on May 25, 2025.
Maro celebrated the occasion by writing on
social media
: "Scripture says It is not good for man to be alone… I am no longer alone.
"I HAVE A WIFE. To God be the Glory!!!!"
Talented rugby family
Talent runs in Maro's family — his cousin
The cousins often show public support for each other, with Beno appearing on Maro's podcast titled Pearl Conversations.
On the show, Maro interviews leaders and groundbreakers from various fields including music, sports, politics and art.
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The couple tied the knot less than a month before the Lions tour kicks off
Credit: Instagram/mimiitoje
Maro reflected on their upbringing on Pearl Conversations, saying: "For you and I, rugby has never really been [there] when we were growing up — as you said, from when we were born to when we went to secondary school.
"Before then, rugby was never really a thing for us. Coming from a Nigerian household where, if it's any sport at all, it's football. If it's not football, then it's books.""If it's not football, then it's books."
Maro's Rugby career
Born in Camden, London, Maro didn't pick up rugby until he was 11, discovering the sport at secondary school.
Before committing to rugby, he also competed at shot put and basketball.
He joined Saracens at the tender age of 17 in 2012.
In 2016, Maro went on to earn his first senior
Maro had already been part of a Lions tour, being the youngest member of the 2017 New Zealand squad at just 22.
The Saracens lock was
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Irish Daily Mirror
7 minutes ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
British & Irish Lions fall at first hurdle as ex-Connacht star is the difference
The jubilant Pumas turned party-poopers as the Lions' Aviva Stadium send-off was turned into a buzz-kill by a newly departed Connacht star. Santiago Cordero had a tough time of it in his two years in Galway but lit up Lansdowne Road last night with a magnificent winning try 21 minutes from time after coming off the bench for Felipe Contepomi's side. Andy Farrell had craved a win to get this 10-game campaign up and running as the Lions played on Irish soil for the first time. But while Farrell's Ireland stars Bundee Aki and Tadhg Beirne scored tries in what was a highly-entertaining affair, the squad left Dublin for Perth early this morning with an opening tour defeat that exposed major fault-lines in the Lions' defence. There was a sense of history in the making before kick-off as the sell-out Lansdowne Road ground filled up with maroon and white-clad supporters, with roughly half the 51,700 attendance predicted to have travelled to Dublin from Britain. They were in the mood to be entertained and there was plenty of surprisingly cohesive attacking work from their side in the opening quarter - fittingly, Connacht's Aki helped himself to the 2025 Lions' first try. He was one of three Ireland internationals in the line-up and Farrell had told the matchday 23 that he wanted them to pile the pressure on their squad colleagues watching on in the stand by turning it on. However Argentina were in the mood to burst the Lions' bubble. They judiciously kicked for goal rather than to the corner, they targeted Marcus Smith at full-back and they killed their rivals on the flanks. Luke Cowan-Dickie celebrated what he thought was the first Lions try of the tour but his joy was premature, with ref Paul Doleman ruling it out as the England hooker spilled it over the line. A ruck infringement allowed Smith to put his side on the scoreboard from a penalty, but the visitors pounced for the game's first try in the 13th minute. Once more the Lions' right flank was badly exposed. Freeman was taken out by the pass to Ignacio Mendy, and the winger too easily cut inside van der Merwe to score. Albornoz missed the conversion and the Lions hit back with a try of their own five minutes later. Sione Tuipulotu's efforts to break through just five metres from the try line didn't pay off but Alex Mitchell's quick recycle saw the two Smiths find Aki. He was about to pass to Freeman outside him but the Northampton winger was exposed. After a moment's hesitation, Aki sprinted for the line himself and held off two tacklers to score. The Lions were ahead for the first time and Smit's conversion made it 10-8 - but the Pumas regained the lead on 25 minutes. Cowan-Dickie was pinged for not releasing in the ruck and Argentina kicked for the posts again, with Albornoz making no mistake this time. And, with time up at the end of the half, the Pumas out-half gleefully added seven more points. Argentina were fortunate that Lions ball squirted out of the ruck in their own 22, but they worked the counter-attack magnificently - Albornoz had nobody to beat from his opponents' 10m line. His conversion made it 21-10 at the break. The Lions forced their way back into it. Another ruck infringement allowed Fin Smith to kick to the corner. This time the lineout clicked. Loosehead Mayco Vivas pulled down the ruck and a penalty try was awarded as he was sin-binned. Farrell's men took advantage. Ellis Genge had come to life and Beirne was the beneficiary in the 53rd minute, crashing over from close in. Smith's conversion made it 24-21. Argentina responded with the game's best try. Van der Merwe was beaten in the air, Albornoz produced the razzmatazz to flummox Henry Pollock and the Pumas were away. Matias Moroni's kick left Marcus Smith flailing and fellow replacement Cordero beat him in a race to touch down. Albornoz nailed the conversion and, try as they might in the last quarter, the Lions couldn't score again.
The Irish Sun
13 minutes ago
- The Irish Sun
British and Irish Lions 24 Argentina 28: Lions stunned by Pumas to lose opening match for first time in 54 years
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The Irish Sun
13 minutes ago
- The Irish Sun
British and Irish Lions paint Dublin red but Argentina leave Aviva Stadium victorious after entertaining battle
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Read More On Irish Sport The Lions' second-half comeback was led by the Pumas' indiscipline with Mayco Vivas yellow-carded and a penalty try awarded within six minutes of the restart after a maul had been dragged to the ground. Further punishment was to follow during the prop's time in the bin when Tadhg Beirne touched down after Ellis Genge had broken through the opposition defence. There will be no panic for Farrell yet. After all, this was only the first of six warm-up games for the Lions before the first Test against Joe Schmidt's Wallabies in four weeks' time. Throw in the fact that 10 Leinster players - Tadhg Furlong and Rónan Kelleher were the only ones involved here - will come into the mix and his options will suddenly look a lot stronger. Most read in Rugby Union Bath duo Will Stuart and Finn Russell, as well as Ollie Chessum of Leicester Tigers, were also excused because of club duties as recently as last Saturday, also sat this one out. Even so, it was an England-dominated team, with some of the cheering for their names when they were announced suggesting it was being done with a sickly taste in the mouth. 'Cried like a baby didn't ya-' - Watch Andy Farrell embarrass Ireland star over reaction to Lions call-up Certainly, it did not match the welcome extended to first-time Lion Finlay Bealham and 2021 tourists Beirne and Bundee Aki. Beirne was the first to make an impact, collecting Argentina's kick-off and then turning the ball over inside the first 80 seconds. But it was the South Americans who took the lead with Tomas Albarnoz kicking the first three of his 16 first-half points with five minutes gone. The Lions thought they had scored the first try of the game when Luke Cowan-Dickie went over following a maul and an earlier Duhan van der Merwe carry. Referee James Doleman awarded the try but reversed his decision after he saw a replay of the hooker dropping the ball over the line. They did level when Sione Tuipolotu forced a penalty - with Fin Smith splitting the posts - after Argentina had turned the ball over following a good move involving Van der Merwe and Tommy Freeman. SLICK VISITORS But Santiago Carreras helped send Ignacio Mendy away with the winger stepping inside van der Merwe before sliding it, although Albarnoz could not add the extras. The combined side had another try - with Tuipolotu ploughing his way through tackles - chalked off because of earlier knock-ons, the first by Argentina. From the scrum, the Lions looked to have butchered a chance on the left when Tuipolotu did not offload to van der Merwe. But they fared better on the right with out-half Smith passing to Aki who barreled his way over the line despite the best efforts of the three opponents. Smith converted to give Farrell's side the lead for the first time but Albarnoz nudged his team back in front with another penalty in the 26th minute. One assumed another penalty in the final 60 seconds would be the final score of the first half but the ball spilled loose inside Argentina's own half. And they reacted faster with Carreras sending Albarnoz on his way. And he had enough time and space to head for the posts to ensure his conversion was a formality. Those 10 points presumably changed the nature of Farrell's half-time instructions as well as the challenge that lay ahead after the resumption. But there was no panic and, as much as their way back into the match was a penalty try, they can argue that was a result of their pressure. And they pressed home their numerical advantage with another try which won the hearty approval from the largely Irish crowd because of the identity of the scorer. What Farrell would have wanted at that point from his charges was to seize control and manage the game. Instead, they continued to struggle to deal with Argentina's ingenuity and opportunism. Former Connacht star Santiago Cordero got on the end of Albornoz's grubber ahead of Marcus Smith. Kelleher, Furlong and Mack Hansen all saw time off the bench but could not turn the tide as Argentina stood up to the Lions' mauling and lived to tell the tale.
