Maro Itoje on being first black Lions captain, wife's response and Australia
The England and Saracens second row joins an illustrious group of men to lead the Lions as they head Down Under to face Australia with Itoje taking on his third captaincy role in less than 12 months
As a keen studier of literature, philosophy and politics, Maro Itoje may already be aware of Aristotle's maxim that 'everything that is perfect comes in threes'. That has certainly been the case for the 30-year-old when it comes to leadership roles.
Having succeeded Owen Farrell as Saracens captain last summer, Itoje then took the England reins from Jamie George before this year's Six Nations. And perhaps the greatest honour of all was still to come, with Itoje installed as British & Irish Lions captain for the 2025 Tour of Australia.
Itoje, of course, was informed of his selection for the role before the Thames-side selection showpiece – and risked a domestic rift after hearing the news.
'My fiancé (now wife) was in the room with me as I finished the conversation with Andy (Farrell),' he said. 'I dropped the phone, I looked at her, and I had a quizzical look on my face. She looked at me and said 'why are you looking at me like that', with a little bit of an attitude.
'But then I told her the news and she was very, very happy, jumped for joy. I told my parents as well later on that day, they were super pumped, super excited. It was really nice.'
Itoje has often recalled the cultural values which were drummed into him by his Nigerian parents – 'respect, respect for seniority, culture, the food we eat, and all of those things that are different to Western norms or British culture' – and says it 'became normal to operate in two different worlds' while growing up.
He did not have any awareness of rugby until the age of 11, with Neil Harris, head of rugby at St George's School in Harpenden, earmarked as a key influence for a young Itoje.
The school also counts Farrell, George and George Ford among its alumni and Itoje was something of a sporting all-rounder. He excelled at basketball and athletics, proving particularly strong over 200m and in shot put, at which he was once ranked second in the country for his age.
Rugby ultimately won the battle for his affections and his leadership skills were honed when he captained England Under-20s to Six Nations and World Championship glory in 2014. Two – soon to be three – Lions tours, five Premiership titles and three European Champions Cup titles later, Itoje is ready for the ultimate leadership test.
He gained an insight into what to expect at a 'captain's dinner' the night before the squad was announced, with Martin Johnson – the most recent English captain of the Lions – among those in attendance.
'He was very gracious, I enjoyed hearing his stories of yesteryear and he has offered his support with anything I need,' Itoje said. 'I'm sure I'll be tapping into that at some point. The dinner was quite cool, quite surreal. It reminded me of the prestige this jersey holds and what it means to a lot of people.
'The Lions is an elite environment but it also feels like one of the few remaining old school rugby environments in terms of the membership of it, the exclusive nature of it. It was amazing to break bread with some of those legends who I look up to.'
There is far more to Itoje than the gifted second-rower and inspirational leader visible on the rugby field. He has embraced his status as a role model and never shied away from taking a stance on issues beyond his sport. Itoje spoke out in the wake of George Floyd's death, for example, outlining a desire to educate people.
"Racial bias affects everyone - so black people have racial bias, white people have racial bias,' he told the BBC. "But what happens is, when white people have this racial bias and they then get into positions of power - they become teachers, become university professors, politicians, broadcasters - it affects everybody.
"Once that happens, they then act unconsciously - some consciously and unconsciously - on this racial bias, and produce a system which is not equal opportunity for all."
Now installed as the Lions' first black captain, Itoje will continue to use his status as a force for good and build on the work done by The Pearl Fund, a charity he launched in 2023 funding education in Ghana, Nigeria and other African countries. The lock, who graduated with an MBA from Warwick Business School in January 2024, has also been vocal about his urge to build a career outside of rugby when his playing days are over.
But his immediate focus is on etching his name into Lions folklore. Having taken on the England captaincy from his long-time Saracens and Lions teammate George at the start of the year, he played a key role as Steve Borthwick's much-improved side finished second.
He will now join forces with those on the opposing side in that competition to try and repeat the exploits of the 2013 tourists, who were successful Down Under.
'I was at school during that time, which sounds crazy now,' he said. 'One of the key bits for me was George North, when he picked up Izzy Falau and ran a few yards, that got the whole crowd on their feet.
'Then there was Leigh Halfpenny's kicks, one of them to win the game, the drama in and around that. And there was a lot of noise in and around the final Test selection, with Brian (O'Driscoll) being dropped, and how they went to dominate that last game. All round, it was a great tour full of drama.'
The second-row is renowned as a serious thinker and determined operator but is also prioritising enjoyment for the Lions' class of 2025, having been part of the squad on the ghost tour four years ago which saw strict Covid rules in place and no fans present.
'You can tell the energy for the Lions is at an all-time high, so it's going to be special,' he said. 'I can't wait to see that Sea of Red again. There is a long list of players here in this squad who I've gone to battle with and against for a number of years and haven't had the opportunity to play with, which is really exciting.'
Itoje once put his initial love of rugby down to three things - a desire to make friends, loving being part of a team and being 'obsessed' with wearing the county club tie. The colour of the tie may have changed but the first two principles remain firmly in place as he prepares for the challenge of a lifetime.
'First and foremost, the most important thing is performance,' he said. 'Being captain doesn't necessarily mean you are going to play, you have to perform at a high level. Through your performance, everything else follows. That will be at the front of my mind.
'Ultimately, it comes down to how we all come together. The success of this tour will be how we buy in, how we connect.
'The rugby will take care of itself, the real success of the tour will be how tight we can be as a team and a group of men.'
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