Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
ITOJE ATHLETICS’ LOSS IS RUGBY’S GAIN
Shot put heartbreak pushed Maro to the oval ball and he’s never looked back
MARO ITOJE has revealed how having his heart broken in athletics drove him to make it big in rugby.
Itoje is one win away from playing in the World Cup final – five years on from captaining England to Junior World Cup glory.
But before focusing on rugby, the Saracens and Lions forward was ranked No.2 in the UK for his age group at shot put.
“I had a few good years, I went to a few English Schools and I had a good time,” said Itoje. “I was ranked second in 2009 in the under-15 age group.
“I did it because I was pretty good and to be honest I think I could have made a career out of it – but rugby is so much more fun than shot put.”
Itoje was Hertfordshire Schools champion three years running, twice finished runner-up at the English Schools and represented England at under-17 level.
“I lost three times in athletics in shot put, once to a guy who was older than me when I was competing a year up so I don’t really count that – though I eventually ended up beating him,” he added.
“The one person who did beat me was Luke Roach-christie. I don’t know where he is now or what he’s doing but every time he beat me it broke my heart.”
Roach-christie competed for England at the schools home internationals before leaving athletics after university. Itoje, now 24, has not looked back since swapping the shot put circle for the rugby field, winning 35 England caps and playing in all three Tests for the 2017 Lions.
In the second of those Tests he was named man of the match after the Lions won in Wellington - a victory savoured by nine of this
England squad. That game remains a crucial reference point for England as they have beaten New Zealand only once – in 2012 – since Itoje was putting the shot as a youngster.
At around that same period he wrote a poem entitled There Comes A Time, the words of which are rather apposite with Saturday in mind.
There comes a time
When a boy must become a man When fear must turn to bravery When thoughts must turn to belief When this belief must turn to action
When one must love and one must hope
When preparation turns to performance
When strangers turn to friends When friends turn to foes
When joy fulfils your mind
When anger fills your heart
When one must stand up and lead When one must sit back and listen
There comes a time, when the time must be taken
Asked on the eve of the tournament if England had now arrived at that time themselves, Itoje laughed: “Funny how life works!
“Yes, I think we have a great opportunity ahead of us.
“We have a quality team, we have some very smart coaches who know what to do, we have great support staff.
“Everything is lined up for us to do well.
“It’s about us seizing the opportunity, no ifs and no buts.
“It’s time to get the business done.”