Maro Itoje captains his club, his country and now, the British and Irish Lions. The 30-year-old rugby player says he hasn’t always taken his faith as seriously as he should. But he is now - and it shows on the field, says Tim Bechervaise

Maro Itoje

Source: Lions Rugby

We’ve probably all had those occasions when we’ve missed a Bible study or house group because of another engagement. Perhaps it was because you had to work overtime, the babysitter bailed, or you went to a friend’s birthday dinner.

How about being officially unveiled at London’s O2 arena as captain of the British and Irish Lions?

That’s exactly what happened to Maro Itoje in May. “I had to ask the Lord for forgiveness for missing a session!” he joked to the BBC.

Super Maro and God’s timing

The amusing anecdote not only speaks of Itoje’s commitment to his Christian faith, but also his willingness to talk openly about it. However, it hasn’t always been that way. In fact, Itoje’s rise to captaincy on the pitch coincides with a spiritual renewal off it – not that he would put it down to coincidence. “God’s timing is always the best time,” he says.

“In the last two or three years I have made a conscious decision to double down in that regard,” says the 30-year-old affectionately known as “Super Maro”.

“I was probably a lukewarm Christian for a large part of my life. I was probably someone who went to church, but was not really living the principles or values of it that deeply, but I have always been a believer.”

Itoje was born in Camden, north London and has played for local club, Saracens, since making his professional debut in 2013. He credits his Nigerian heritage for his Christian faith: “My background is Nigerian and we tend to be religious people,” he told The Guardian in 2022. “I know that all I have been given in life is through his grace. That keeps me humble and grateful.”

Prayer on tour

When Itoje leads the Lions out, he might well look back on previous tours and reflect on how much he’s grown as a person as well as a player. He admits that when he played on the Lions tour to New Zealand in 2017, he was a “little bit brash and a bit naïve”.

Itoje is modelling a different type of leadership to the one traditionally seen in rugby

This time around however, it looks as though Itoje has a plan in place to help deal with the pressures and temptations that come his way. “I try to have a daily amount of time that I spend, whether that is reading the Bible or praying, ideally both,” he explains. “I also try and do Bible study once or twice a week at least. I am going to try and maintain the system I have over in Australia, with Zoom and WhatsApp video calls.” He can also call on his pastor, who was only one of six people Itoje told of his appointment as Lions captain before it was officially announced.

Captain material

The routine may well spark some interesting conversations with his team mates, but what will make the biggest impact on them is the way he leads. He is known to avoid swearing while playing – as demonstrated in the highly popular clips of him giving pep talks at Saracens – and, on a podcast earlier this year, he held Jesus as an exemplar of leadership.

It’s an approach that might explain why, despite a hugely successful domestic and international career, including three Six Nations victories, reaching the 2019 Rugby World Cup final and being nominated for the World Rugby Player of the Year award three times, former England coach Eddie Jones once expressed doubt over Itoje’s ability to captain.

Jones said he was “very inward-looking” and lacked influence in the dressing room, but perhaps Itoje was simply modelling a different type of leadership to the one traditionally seen in rugby – one no less powerful? That he has been given the captain’s armband for the Lions, while also holding it for England and Saracens, is surely a ringing endorsement of his character and leadership.

I know that all I have been given in life is through his grace

This is reflected in his work off the pitch. In 2023, he created the Akoje Gallery, which last year funded residencies for seven upcoming artists. And his Pearl Fund helps disadvantaged children in Nigeria and the UK. Itoje is keen to not be regarded simply as a professional athlete, and with a degree in politics from SOAS (London’s School of Oriental and African Studies) and a Masters degree in business, as well as an interest in writing poetry, we can surely expect his influence beyond rugby to keep growing.

Depending on how the Lions do over the next few weeks, that growth might happen more quickly than expected.

Tim Bechervaise lives in Hatfield with his wife, Laura. He is a copywriter for Open Doors UK & Ireland, and freelance writer. Coffee, street photography and Tottenham Hotspur count among his other interestsView full Profile

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