SOME PEOPLE FIND THE WAY I PLAY ANNOYING . . . I DON’T CARE
ENGLAND STAR MARO ITOJE ON BREXIT, HIS NIGERIAN HERITAGE AND WINDING UP OPPONENTS
With a steely tone to his voice, Maro itoje says: ‘i’m not really concerned about the feelings of people i play against.
‘i try my best not to do anything to actively aggravate someone, but i know some people find the way i play annoying.
‘that is neither here nor there. i can live with that very easily. My main thing is doing whatever i can to make my team win and everything else is secondary.’
it is the shouting, the clapping, the trademark in-your-face itoje that winds up the opposition.
But then, as if to prove his next point, the 23-year-old England forward eases his 6ft 6in frame back, slumping into a wooden chair at Saracens’ Old Albanians training ground. ‘Off the pitch i’m pretty relaxed,’ he says with a wide grin.
‘ i don’t suffer from hypermasculinity where i walk down the street barging into people, that is not my vibe. i’m relatively easygoing, so it is no bother.’
in the space of a minute, itoje neatly sums up his dichotomous
world. world Confrontational yet chilled. chilled Vocal yet softly spoken. Expansive yet monosyllabic.
When itoje first sits down for this interview ahead of his 100th match for Saracens against harlequins at the Stoop tonight, he seems more interested in the pineapple, strawberries and watermelon on his paper plate than in the questions.
‘Did you know it was your 100th this weekend?’ is the half-volley loosener. ‘Yep,’ itoje bats back, dropping a pip from mouth to plate. But after a few minutes, when it is made clear the rugby chat is over, he comes alive.
time to talk politics, history and heritage. Down goes the plate, up comes the head. Eyes facing forward. Brain fully engaged.
itoje’s parents, Efe and Florence, both 58, are Nigerian. they own houses in Lagos and London. ‘i’ve been back every summer for the past three or four years,’ itoje explains. ‘i used to go for the whole summer when i was younger but when i joined the Saracens academy i came back and could barely run!
‘too much food, not enough exercise. When you’re in Nigeria it’s not conducive to doing a lot of physical work, unfortunately!’
the grin returns. itoje is a proud African, a proud Nigerian.
A ‘ narrow, Eurocentric, Anglophone’ education at harrow left his thirst for the truth about Africa unquenched. ‘i’m in no way saying i’m a fountain of knowledge but i got to a point where i was 18 and i didn’t know much about that history,’ he says.
‘At school the only things i learned about Africa were: briefly touched on the slave trade, colonialism, and very briefly independence and aid. those things paint a very negative, inaccurate picture of what Africa and African countries are about. that is backed up by the news coverage, all these negative connotations about Africa which are constantly perpetuated through the media.’
Reading politics at London’s School of Oriental and African Studies helped widen his horizons. itoje completed his degree in 2017, with extended essays on international aid and the Nigerian Civil War earning him a 2:1.
But he could not graduate because the British & irish Lions tour — and a coming- of- age performance against the All Blacks in Wellington — got in the way. his two worlds colliding again.
he swapped scrumcap for mortarboard this summer instead.
Last Monday marked Nigeria’s 58th year of independence. to celebrate, itoje was arrayed in traditional dress and entertained — along with his mum and 21-year-old sister isabel — at a swanky dinner at Claridge’s hotel by Lux Afrique, a company which describes itself as ‘a gateway to luxury brands’.
this is the type of company he keeps now. the second-rower was on the cover of magazine’s October issue alongside Lady Amelia Windsor. it is hardly something you would see former England lock Martin Johnson doing but itoje maintains that rugby is his focus. ‘i want to be the most holistic person i can be,’ he says. ‘Rugby will always be the most important thing but it’s important to experience other walks of life outside the rugby bubble.’
itoje has a keen eye on boxing’s heavyweight division and another British Nigerian flying the flag on the world stage, Anthony Joshua. ‘i don’t care as much about the lower weights,’ he smiles. ‘i went to two of his fights after the 2012 Olympics. i’d love to watch him become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.
‘to be spoken about in the same breath as someone like AJ is awesome. Nigerians tend to do well wherever we go. i’m very proud of where i come from.’
itoje is sure of his opinions, too, and concerned about Britain’s future. ‘Politics in this country is in a very fragmented place,’ he says, brow furrowed.
‘A lot of people feel they don’t have a political home any more. A lot are upset with Brexit and the deal that’s probably going to happen. i was a Remainer so i’d like it not to happen. i’m in favour of the People’s Vote.’
Athletes’ voices are growing louder. itoje is hardly Serena Williams, LeBron James, Mesut Ozil or Colin Kaepernick in terms of global influence but he recognises the importance of speaking out. ‘ People are very quick to try to silence athletes. to say, “You’re just an athlete, what do you know about politics?” that is a dumbfounding statement — what more right does a plumber, architect or builder have to air their opinion than anyone else?’
itoje did not always have his swagger and self-confidence.
‘i remember my first ever game of rugby,’ he reminisces. ‘i was 11 and couldn’t sleep before the game. it was a school match against haberdashers. Nothing was on the line — no salaries, no points — and i couldn’t sleep because i was so nervous.’
his first game for Sarries in 2013 — a 19-11 win against Cardiff Blues when aged 18 — had him shaking.
‘i was trembling in the final huddle before we went out,’ he said. ‘ “Uncle” Nils (Nils Mordt, who was the fly-half that day) put his arm round me and said, “Maro, you’re going to be all right”.
‘it was a good day. Once we started playing it was fine. Sport is a very fickle world. You’re hot one week, ice-cold the next and can go from hero to villain very quickly.’
Sometimes in sport, and in life, it pays to see both sides.
‘I want to be the most holistic person I can, to experience life outside the rugby bubble’