Given the summer off for the first time in his 13-year rugby career, Maro Itoje made the most of it – jetting as far afield as Mauritius and Nigeria.
When he returned, a curious twist of fate saw him bump into his England coach Steve Borthwick and club and country team-mate Jamie George at Heathrow. It was a reminder that even as England and Lions captain, Itoje is just like everyone else in many ways: on holiday he bumps into all the same people he sees at home.
Now, Itoje has returned to the day job. Borthwick’s leader of men is back in the saddle to take his country into a crucial autumn campaign which begins with his 103rd cap at home to Australia on Sunday.
‘He is moving really well,’ Borthwick said of Itoje, who should go past Courtney Lawes to take seventh place on England’s all-time caps list this autumn. ‘He looks energised and refreshed. He is talking incredibly positively. I have been very impressed by him.
‘Maro has an intensity in defence that is exceptional. His ability to win turnovers and make plays that have such a positive effect upon those around him is extraordinary. He is a leader. He looks good.’
As captain of England and after three tours with the Lions, Itoje’s status as one of the international game’s most decorated figures is undisputed – those 102 caps, three Six Nations titles including a Grand Slam, five PREM Rugby titles and three European Cups.
England captain Maro Itoje is back in the saddle to take his country into a crucial autumn campaign which begins with his 103rd cap at home to Australia on Sunday
As captain of England and after three tours with the Lions, Itoje’s status as one of the international game’s most decorated figures is undisputed
But sometimes even the very best start to struggle and that is what happened to Itoje in this year’s Six Nations. England imploded as a collective, producing their worst Championship with just one win and a fifth-placed finish. Mirroring his team’s struggles, Itoje was nowhere near his best.
The constant grind and subsequent impact of 12 seasons of playing at the highest level had, understandably, caught up with Itoje. He has admitted as much. Itoje has regularly exceeded the stated 30-game-a-season limit for England’s top stars, and was also dealing the loss of his mother, Florence, who passed away in December 2025.
Something needed to be done, and club and country swiftly drew up a plan with a simple aim: let England’s 32-year-old captain recuperate both mentally and physically, then be all guns blazing for the 2027 World Cup.
It was a first in English rugby and reflected the growing nature of collaboration between the RFU and PREM Rugby’s 10 clubs. Itoje missed the summer’s Nations Championship games with South Africa, Fiji and Argentina and – the chance meeting with Borthwick and George aside – was given the chance to completely switch off from rugby.
‘I’ve known Maro a long time,’ says England head of performance Phil Morrow, who also worked with Itoje at Saracens. ‘When we looked towards the World Cup and looked at all our key players, we knew this was an important season in particular.
‘Maro has played a lot of rugby over a sustained period of time. He regularly plays 80 minutes for both club and country. He also had personal stuff going on last year. He was emotionally tired. People always talk about the physical aspect of rugby, but the psychological load and the pressures that go with that are just as significant.
‘Guys like Maro are living out a lot of people’s dreams, and a lot of things come with that. But there’s always a person behind the player. I think it’s easy to forget that at times. All our players have mums or dads or wives or girlfriends who care about them. Everyone’s got their own troubles.
‘You can’t separate physiology and psychology because they both have a cost on people’s energy. Steve and I had a chat about Maro and we felt it would benefit him to have some proper time off, rest, spend time with his family and have a proper pre-season with Saracens.
Itoje and England endured a harrowing Six Nations, losing four of their five matches including to Italy for the first time
‘He’s an older player now, but he’s got a fresh enthusiasm,’ says Phil Morrow. ‘I can see that in his body language, the work he’s doing, and the energy he’s bringing to training’
‘He’s an older player now, but he’s got a fresh enthusiasm for the big year we have ahead of us. I can see that in his body language, the work he’s doing, and the energy he’s bringing to training.’
Saracens were involved every step of the way on Itoje’s management. Head coach Joe Shaw hailed his star player’s rest period as ‘magic’ and a ‘genius’ move.
‘I’ve given Maro some stick about being old,’ Shaw told Daily Mail Sport. ‘It was about what was best for Maro, best for Saracens and best for England and all the stars aligned. We told him he could have even more time off if he wanted, but he was in the building for the first day of pre-season which was huge for us. He wanted to help the youngsters.’
Itoje’s England and Lions commitments have previously always meant a late arrival back at Saracens, the only club he’s ever known and where he has agreed a new deal. Part of the reason for doing so, and turning down more lucrative contract options in France, is because of his RFU-enhanced management.
As one of England’s top 25 players, Itoje is on an enhanced elite player squad contract, which gives Borthwick and Morrow greater control of his time and treatment. It would be surprising if other top stars don’t follow Itoje’s lead in the future, with one possible candidate for a period of rest being wing Tommy Freeman.
‘We’ve already seen the repercussions,’ said Shaw, whose side sit fourth in the PREM, level on points with second-placed Gloucester. ‘Maro has played so well. He’s been brilliant for us. I feel he’s had a freshness about him and he’ll go into the autumn Tests in good form.
‘We all want the England captain firing on all cylinders throughout the autumn, the Six Nations and the World Cup. If England are to do well, we’ve all got to work together.’
Itoje was also left out of Saracens’ last game before the Test break to give him even more time to rev up for England duty. He and his wife Mimi have had their first child and he has signed with WME Sports – the same agency as Keely Hodgkinson and Emma Raducanu.
‘Maro has played so well, he’s been brilliant for us,’ says Saracens head coach Joe Shaw, whose side sit fourth in the PREM table after five rounds
Itoje’s partnership with Under Armour saw him play basketball with Mikel Arteta, manager of his beloved Arsenal, last month
Itoje’s marketing ability remains clear, especially compared to other rugby players. His Instagram page is constantly used to promote partnerships with drinks and cosmetics brands, among many others.
One clip showed a three-hour trip to Amsterdam by private plane for an appearance for American sportswear company Under Armour, through whom he has also played basketball with Mikel Arteta, manager of his beloved Arsenal.
The enforced rest period, combined with his dedication and professionalism, means there is no reason why he can’t play for another four or five years. Should he do so, he would put himself in the frame to be England’s best ever player and would almost certainly become their most capped.
First, though, comes a crucial autumn. England need to win and win now. Having a revitalised Itoje can only help with that.
