Maro Itoje facts for kids
Itoje representing Saracens during the Aviva Premiership
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| Full name | Oghenemaro Miles Itoje | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 28 October 1994 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Camden, London | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 118 kg (260 lb; 18 st 8 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Salcombe Prep School St George's School Harrow School |
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| University | School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London University of Warwick |
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| Notable relative(s) | Beno Obano (cousin) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Oghenemaro Miles Itoje, born on October 28, 1994, is a famous English professional rugby union player. He plays as a lock for the Premiership Rugby club Saracens. Maro is also the captain for both the England national team and the British & Irish Lions.
Maro Itoje signed his first professional contract with Saracens in 2012. He made his first appearance for the team the very next year. In 2016, he was chosen to play for England in the 2016 Six Nations Championship.
He has helped Saracens win many big titles. These include five Premiership titles and three European titles. For England, he has been a key player in two British & Irish Lions tours. He has also been nominated three times for the World Rugby Player of the Year award. With England, he has won a Grand Slam and a Triple Crown.
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Early Life and Education
Maro Itoje was born in Camden, North London. His parents are from Nigeria. He went to Salcombe Preparatory School in Southgate for primary school.
Later, he moved to St George's School in Harpenden. This is where he first started playing rugby at age eleven. A local coach, Stuart Mitchell, was a huge help to him. Maro later earned a scholarship to Harrow School, a private school in London.
As a student, Maro played many sports. These included basketball, football, rugby, and athletics. He even represented England in shot put at the U17 level. He studied Politics at the School of Oriental and African Studies while starting his rugby career. In 2023, he earned a master's degree in business from Warwick Business School.
Club Rugby Career
Maro Itoje made his first senior appearance for Saracens in the 2012–13 season. He was 19 years old at the time. His first game was against Cardiff Blues in the Anglo-Welsh Cup. He later played his first Aviva Premiership game against Leicester Tigers. Before joining Saracens, he played for junior teams like Harpenden.
Maro has achieved great success with Saracens. He has won five Premiership titles with the team. These wins were in 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, and 2023. He played in all five of those final matches. He also helped Saracens win the European Champions Cup three times. These victories were in 2016, 2017, and 2019. In the 2015–16 season, Maro was named the European Player of the Year.
In the current 2024–2025 season, Maro Itoje became the new Saracens club captain. He took over this role after Owen Farrell left the team.
International Rugby Career
Maro Itoje played for England's U18 team. He also captained the England U20 team in the 2013–14 season. He scored a try in every game of the 2014 Six Nations Under 20s Championship. He was named England's Man of the Tournament.
In 2014, Maro helped England win the 2014 IRB Junior World Championship. He was a co-captain for the team during this tournament. He was also called up to the England Saxons squad in 2015.
Maro was first selected for the senior England training squad for the 2015 Rugby World Cup. However, he did not make the final team. He received his next call-up from coach Eddie Jones in 2016 for the 2016 Six Nations Championship. He made his first team debut against Italy. He was named Man of the Match in the win against Wales in March 2016. England went on to win the Grand Slam that year. Maro also played a key role in England's summer series win against Australia. He was named the World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year for 2016.
Maro was important again when England defended their Six Nations title in 2017. He started all five games as a blindside flanker.
He was chosen for the British & Irish Lions for their 2017 tour of New Zealand. At 22, he was the youngest player in the squad. He was one of the best players on the tour. He scored a try against the Maori All Blacks. He also played in all three test matches against New Zealand. The Lions ended up drawing the series.
Maro was selected again for the 2021 British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa. The Lions lost that test series in a very close final game. He was once again a top player and was voted the Lions Player of the Series by his teammates. At the end of 2021, Maro received his third nomination for the World Rugby Player of the Year award.
During the 2024 season, he won 15 turnovers for England. This was more than any other player from a top rugby nation. He also led in hitting attacking and defensive rucks.
In January 2025, Maro Itoje was named the new England captain. This was before the 2025 Six Nations Championship. In February 2025, he led England to his first win as captain against France. He also became the first England captain since Owen Farrell in 2020 to lift the Calcutta Cup. This happened after a 16–15 victory over Scotland.
On May 8, 2025, Maro Itoje was confirmed as the captain for the 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia.
Personal Life
Maro Itoje is 1.98 meters (6 feet 6 inches) tall and weighs 110 kilograms (243 pounds). He is interested in politics and art. Maro is a practicing Christian and studies the Bible. He also has a master's degree in business.
In 2023, Maro launched The Pearl Fund. This project aims to raise money to help educate children in Nigeria, Ghana, and other African countries. In January 2025, Maro said he supports the Six Nations staying on free-to-air television. He believes rugby should be a game that everyone can watch.
Major Achievements
Maro Itoje has won many awards and titles throughout his career.
With his club, Saracens, he has won the Premiership five times and the European Rugby Champions Cup three times. He also won the Anglo-Welsh Cup once.
For England U20, he won the World Rugby U20 Championship in 2014.
With the England senior team, he has won the Six Nations Championship three times, including a Grand Slam in 2016. He also won the Autumn Nations Cup in 2020. England was runner-up in the Rugby World Cup in 2019 and finished third in 2023.
Individually, Maro has been nominated for the World Rugby Men's 15s Player of the Year three times. He won the World Rugby Men's 15s Breakthrough Player of the Year in 2016. He was also named the British & Irish Lions Player of the Series in 2021. He has received several other awards and nominations for his excellent play in both European and Premiership rugby.
See also
In Spanish: Maro Itoje para niños
