All you need to know about England's star man

Who is Maro Itoje: Ten things you should know about the England lock

Maro Itoje has achieved a great deal in both his international and club career, winning trophies with Saracens and England. Predominantly a lock but also capable of playing at flanker, he has established himself as one of the best players in the world.

Ten things you should know about Maro Itoje

1. Maro Itoje, full name Oghenemaro Miles Itoje, was born in Camden to Nigerian parents on 28 October 1994. He stands at 6ft 5in (195cm) and weighs 18st 2lb (115kg).

2. He only started playing rugby at 11 when introduced to the sport at secondary school St George’s in Harpenden, which was also attended by England team-mates Owen Farrell and George Ford.

3. He represented England at U17 level in shot put and played basketball to a high level, before finally settling on rugby.

4. Itoje was captain of the England U20 team that beat South Africa to win the 2014 Junior World Championship final. Earlier in the same year, he had scored a try in every U20 Six Nations game.

5. The England and Saracens second-row’s nickname is ‘The Pearl’ and in 2020 he launched a podcast called Pearl Conversations, where he talks to groundbreakers from across society.

6. Between 2015 and 2016, Itoje enjoyed a 31-match unbeaten run in games he started for club and country. During that time he also made his England debut, against Italy in 2016.

Related: Saracens and England lock Maro Itoje analysed

7. Itoje has dabbled with modelling. He appeared on the cover of Tatler in 2018 alongside Prince William and Harry’s cousin Amelia Windsor while in 2020 he and his family were part of a Ralph Lauren advertising campaign.

8. Bath prop Beno Obano, who made his England debut against Scotland in the 2021 Six Nations, is his cousin.

9. At just 22, Itoje was the youngest player in the 41-man British & Irish Lions squad that toured New Zealand in 2017. The lock made three Test appearances in that campaign, which resulted in a drawn series against the All Blacks.

10. Itoje enjoys watching period dramas, such as Downton Abbey, Mr Selfridge and The Crown.

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