Maro Itoje facts for kids
Maro Itoje playing for Saracens during the 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, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.98 m (6 ft 6 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) Andre Harriman-Annous (nephew) |
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| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Oghenemaro Miles Itoje, known to fans as Maro Itoje, is a famous English rugby union star. He plays in the forward pack as a lock or a flanker. On the field, he represents the top English club Saracens in Premiership Rugby. Itoje is widely known as a smart leader. He became the team captain for the England national team. He also served as captain of the famous British & Irish Lions.
Itoje began playing rugby as a schoolboy before signing a contract with Saracens in 2012. Because of his amazing speed and strength, he earned a spot with England in the 2016 Six Nations Championship. He has helped his club win five Premiership titles and three major European crowns. In international tournaments, he helped England earn a historic Grand Slam and a Triple Crown. He has played on three major Lions tours and earned over 100 international test caps.
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Early Life and Growing Up
Maro Itoje was born on 28 October 1994 in Camden, located in North London. His parents, Florence and Efe Itoje, moved to the United Kingdom from Nigeria. Maro grew up in a supportive family that valued both education and athletics. As a young child, he attended Salcombe Preparatory School in Southgate. When he was eleven years old, he became a boarder at St George's School in Harpenden, Hertfordshire.
It was at St George's that Itoje first discovered the game of rugby. A kind volunteer coach named Stuart Mitchell noticed his athletic gifts. Mitchell drove young Maro across the country so he could practice and play for local teams. Itoje often credits this early coaching with shaping his passion for the sport. Soon after, his talent earned him a sports scholarship to Harrow School, a famous private school in London.
During his school years, Itoje loved trying many different games. He played basketball, ran around the field playing football, and joined the athletics squad. He was exceptionally good at throwing events. He even competed for England at the under-17 level in the shot put.
Even while practicing hard on the sports field, Maro focused on his studies. He enrolled at the School of Oriental and African Studies in Bloomsbury, London. There, he studied politics and government while starting his professional sports journey. Later in life, he continued his learning journey at the University of Warwick. He finished a master's degree in business administration from Warwick Business School in 2023.
Club Career with Saracens
Maro Itoje has spent his entire professional club career playing for Saracens. He started out in local youth rugby with Harpenden from 2005 to 2011. After that, he moved up to play senior games with Old Albanians. His great skills quickly caught the attention of professional scouts.
Rising Through the Ranks
Itoje made his senior debut for Saracens during the 2012–13 season at eighteen years old. His first big match was against Cardiff Blues in the Anglo-Welsh Cup. Later that same season, he made his debut in Premiership league matches against Leicester Tigers.
He developed rapidly into one of the most reliable second-row forwards in the country. Coaches admired how hard he worked during training drills. His ability to leap high during lineouts and push hard in scrums made him indispensable to the squad.
Championship Success and Captaincy
With Itoje in the starting lineup, Saracens became one of the strongest clubs in the world. He played in five grand final victories to win the English Premiership in 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, and 2023. Itoje made crucial tackles and steals in every single one of those finals.
Saracens also conquered Europe by winning the European Rugby Champions Cup three times, in 2016, 2017, and 2019. In the 2015–16 season, his dazzling performances earned him the prestigious European Player of the Year award. In the 2024–2025 season, Saracens named Itoje their new club captain after his longtime teammate Owen Farrell left the club.
International Career with England
Playing for the national squad is one of the highest honours in rugby. Itoje has built a legendary career wearing the white jersey of England.
Youth Success and England Debut
Itoje first showed his skills on the international stage with the England U18 squad. He was soon picked to be captain of the England U20 team. During the 2014 Six Nations Under 20s Championship, he scored a try in every single round. He led from the front and won the tournament's best player award.
Later that summer, he captained England at the 2014 IRB Junior World Championship. In the tournament final, England defeated the tough South Africa U20 team at Eden Park in New Zealand. This victory proved to the rugby world that Itoje had the leadership to thrive against top international competition.
In early 2015, Itoje played for the second-tier national team, the England Saxons. He helped them beat the Ireland Wolfhounds. Head coach Eddie Jones called Itoje into the main senior squad for the 2016 Six Nations Championship. Itoje made his senior England debut against the Italy national rugby union team.
He earned his first start against the Ireland national rugby union team. Then, he delivered a brilliant performance against the Wales national rugby union team to help England take the Triple Crown. In the final game, England beat the France national rugby union team to secure a famous Grand Slam by winning every single match.
Later in 2016, Itoje traveled with England on the tour of Australia. England won all three matches against the Wallabies, completing a historic series whitewash. For his incredible rookie season, Itoje won the World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year award.
Six Nations Championships and World Cups
Itoje stayed at the top of international rugby for the next several seasons. In the 2017 tournament, he helped England win the championship trophy once again. The following year, during the tour of South Africa, he scored his very first senior international try against the South Africa national rugby union team at Ellis Park Stadium.
At the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan, Itoje was a central star for England. In the semi-final clash, England faced the mighty New Zealand All Blacks. Itoje dominated the game and took the player of the match award. England advanced to the World Cup final, where they finished in second place behind South Africa.
Itoje continued his winning ways by helping England take home the 2020 Six Nations Championship title. That winter, he helped England win the Autumn Nations Cup after an exciting final against France.
At the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France, Itoje started in big playoff games against the Fiji national rugby union team and South Africa. England earned the tournament bronze medal by beating the Argentina national rugby union team.
Becoming England Captain
In 2024, Itoje set impressive records on the pitch. He secured fifteen turnovers for England, outperforming every forward from the world's top rugby nations. He also threw himself into hundreds of rucks, showing endless energy.
In January 2025, England chose Itoje to be the team captain for the 2025 Six Nations Championship. He led England to a hard-fought win over France and defeated the Scotland national rugby union team to claim the historic Calcutta Cup. In February 2026, he led England against Ireland to celebrate his 100th England test appearance.
British & Irish Lions Tours
The British & Irish Lions are an all-star team that brings together the best rugby players from England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland every four years.
Itoje joined the 2017 tour to New Zealand as the youngest player on the squad at twenty-two. He played brilliantly, scored a try against the Māori All Blacks, and started in the test matches against the All Blacks to tie the series.
In 2021, coach Warren Gatland picked Itoje for the 2021 British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa. Itoje was voted Lions Player of the Series by his teammates. He was also nominated for the prestigious World Rugby Player of the Year award.
In 2025, Itoje was named captain for the 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia. Under his leadership, the Lions won the first two test matches against Australia to capture their first Lions series trophy in twelve years.
Life Away from the Rugby Pitch
Off the pitch, Maro Itoje has many different hobbies. Standing 1.98 meters tall and weighing 110 kilograms, he is an imposing figure, but friends describe him as thoughtful and kind. His nephew, Andre Harriman-Annous, is also a talented athlete who chose a career in football.
Itoje is a practising follower of the Christian faith who reads the Bible regularly. He loves modern art, visits galleries, and writes poetry. In 2023, he started a charity named The Pearl Fund. The charity raises money to pay for school materials and help children go to school across Nigeria, Ghana, and other nations in Africa. He also speaks up to ensure the Six Nations stays on free-to-air television so every young kid can watch rugby for free.
Major Career Honours
Saracens Club Honours
- 5× Premiership champion: 2014–15, 2015–16, 2017–18, 2018–19, and 2022–23
- 3× European Rugby Champions Cup champion: 2015–16, 2016–17, and 2018–19
- 1× Anglo-Welsh Cup champion: 2014–15
- 1× RFU Championship champion: 2020–21
International Team Honours
- 1× World Rugby U20 Championship champion: 2014
- 3× Six Nations Championship champion: 2016, 2017, and 2020
- 1× Grand Slam winner: 2016
- 2× Triple Crown winner: 2016 and 2020
- 1× Autumn Nations Cup winner: 2020
- Rugby World Cup Silver Medal: 2019
- Rugby World Cup Bronze Medal: 2023
Personal Awards
- 3× World Rugby Player of the Year nominee: 2016, 2017, and 2021
- 1× World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year: 2016
- 1× European Player of the Year: 2016
- 1× British & Irish Lions Player of the Series: 2021
See also
In Spanish: Maro Itoje para niños
