In so many ways, 2025 was the greatest year of Maro Itoje’s life. He was made England captain and drove a renaissance for the national team. He led the British & Irish Lions to a Test series victory in Australia. And he married Mimi Fall, an artist and model, in two ceremonies in London either side of the Lions tour. The first a traditional British church wedding in Mayfair, the second a colourful Nigerian celebration of Urhobo culture, song and traditional dress.
But Itoje, 31, also reflects on 2025 as his toughest experience. Through all of those professional and personal highlights, Itoje was weighed down by concerns for the fluctuating health of his mother, Florence; concerns he largely kept secret. Florence had watched her son play rugby around the world but, in July, she had been unable to fly to Australia with the Lions. She was an important presence at the wedding ceremonies but she died shortly before Christmas, at the age of 66.
Itoje missed the start of England’s Six Nations training camp in Girona, Spain, last week because he had travelled to Nigeria for Florence’s funeral, held at St Patrick’s Cathedral in his mother’s “ancestral home” of Eku in Delta state. There are moments as we talk over lunch when his voice cracks but he is composed, in control. Itoje was recovering from a knee injury when his mother died, which allowed him valuable time and space to start processing his feelings and to gain some perspective.
“It would have been very difficult to have played straight off the back of the news,” Itoje says. “It gave me time to grieve. It’s been difficult, to be honest. It’s been challenging on both the professional and the personal front. It’s just the paradox of life.
“It’s been one of the most joyous, celebratory years of my life: getting married, the Lions, England getting back to where we think we should be, playing my 200th game for Saracens. So many milestones that were hit.
“But at the same time, my mum was going through it. It wasn’t necessarily linear, so she got better, got worse, got better, got worse. We didn’t lose hope up until the very end. It wasn’t easy. There were points throughout the year where I was extremely fatigued from an emotional point of view, because you’re trying to balance your family commitments as well as your professional commitments.
“For a long time, your professional commitments are all consuming. So when you’re trying to balance the two, and to be in leadership roles within every environment, it is difficult. You learn to try to compartmentalise.
“I didn’t really make it a public thing. So I let some of my coaches know and a couple of players but I didn’t really share it. I didn’t want it to be a topic of conversation.
Itoje and his wife Mimi after the second Test victory at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in July. Itoje’s mother was too unwell to travel to Australia
DAVID DAVIES/PA
“I’m happy that my mum got to witness a lot of these things. She got to witness me get married. As the mother of the groom, she played a pretty significant role in both weddings. She got to witness me going on my third Lions tour as captain. She got to witness me become an England captain.
“That means a lot to me. I know it meant a lot to her as well. So I feel somewhat blessed that I was able to do those things and she was able to enjoy those things.”
Itoje has found solace in his faith. “My mum wasn’t young, but she wasn’t old. She was 66 years old, just celebrating her 66th birthday,” he says. “She was an extremely health-conscious person. Obviously I’m biased, but I think my mum was one of the kindest, most warm people that one would ever meet. Who I am is because of her.
“So it does make you think, ‘Why her, out of all the people in the world? Why her?’ But at the same time, I’m also a believer that you can’t question God. I believe she’s in a place where there’s no more pain, no more suffering, only peace and joy. That has been a huge comfort to me.”
Itoje married Mimi in August after returning from the victorious Lions tour to Australia
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Itoje’s parents Florence and Efe were born in Nigeria, and had little understanding of rugby when their sons, first Jeremy and then Maro, began to play the sport at St George’s School, Harpenden. Itoje was a natural athlete; a 200m runner, a basketball player, and he represented England in the shot put. But it was rugby that captured him.
While supportive, their priorities were strict: the boys could enjoy their rugby providing their grades were good. Itoje went on to Harrow School, where he studied politics, economics and statistics for A-level, earning straight As. On one April Fool’s Day, Itoje sent Efe an email saying he wanted to focus on rugby and would not be going to university. His father did not speak to him for three days.
Itoje did advance his education, with a degree at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London while playing for Saracens. Florence and Efe grew to love their rugby. They would attend every England game and travel the world to watch their son. They would watch Saracens even if he was not playing. “They have to know they have our support,” Efe would say.
Finding his parents in the stands after a game became part of Itoje’s routine. In 2017, they were in Wellington to witness 30,000 Lions supporters singing “Oh Maro Itoje” after his immense performance in the second Test victory over New Zealand; now one of Itoje’s most precious memories.
“My mum really hated flying, but she came everywhere, to all the countries in Europe. She came to South Africa, New Zealand, Australia. Unfortunately, she couldn’t make her way out this summer [on the Lions tour] because of her condition,” he says.
“They didn’t really understand rugby, but it ended up being a core part of their social life and they thoroughly enjoyed it. It gave them the opportunity to go around the world and see different places and get in touch with the culture.
“When you’re a kid and you’re playing rugby, you look over to your parents and you want your parents to be there. Then you probably go through some more rebellious sort of stage where you’re like, ‘Oh, if you want to come, come. If you don’t want to come, don’t’.
The 31-year-old had been told that the England captaincy was his destiny since he was a teenager
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“My parents always came. And I probably thought at that time, ‘Oh, this is more for them than it is for me’. But now that this has happened, I am so grateful that they were as supportive and as willing to make arrangements to come and support me.
“Now that my mum has unfortunately passed, I take so much pleasure and joy that I was able to share those experiences with her. I remember being in the stands with them in 2017, after the second Test. They were ever-present at England games. I’m definitely going miss the presence of my mum being there.”
Itoje was complimented in recent weeks on how much he had taken after his mother. He described himself as “a poor imitation”, although many of the character traits he inherited from Florence are evident in the way he captains Saracens, England and the Lions.
His leadership style is inclusive. He is thoughtful, calm and measured, not bombastic. He does not curse in any circumstances, which is rare in a rugby changing room when the intensity is high and the testosterone is flying.
Itoje had been told that the England captaincy was his destiny since he was a teenager. After leading England Under-20 to a world title in 2014, Saracens sent him on leadership courses with captains of industry and military figures. Itoje was made Saracens captain in August 2024, England captain in January 2025 and Lions captain the following May.
At one stage, though, it was uncertain whether Itoje would fulfil that destiny. Eddie Jones, when he was England head coach, feared he was too “inward-looking” to be a leader. Jones was perhaps suspicious of Itoje’s life and interests outside of rugby, which are plentiful and range from African art to politics. He has a foundation providing education to under-privileged children in Nigeria, Ghana and London.
Itoje has been told he is like his late mother in many respects
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Itoje worked on his communication skills but he always felt that Jones had made “a wrong diagnosis” of his character. Over the past 18 months, he has demonstrated that on the biggest stage and in some of the most trying circumstances.
Andy Farrell, the Lions head coach, wanted a captain who was “calm, calculated and could roll with the punches”. Farrell had also noticed that Itoje’s performances for club and country had improved with all the additional responsibilities. “That doesn’t always happen,” Farrell said. “Sometimes people shrink with the responsibilities. His nature, he is inviting others to be themselves.” At that stage, Farrell would not have been aware of the emotional burden Itoje was carrying.
“My mother was very measured. Very calculated. I think I am the same. I am not quick to anger,” Itoje says. “She grew up incredibly privileged. Her dad was an extremely wealthy man. But she never discriminated against people based on wealth or class. She would look at their heart. I know it doesn’t sound humble to say you are humble, but I think I got that from her.
“You couldn’t take advantage of her because she had strong principles. There’s so much I think I’ve taken from her. The loss of my mother is a hole that will never be filled. But in terms of moving forward, her principles, her values will continue to be with me. She’ll be guiding me from up there.”
Moving forward for Itoje, after a period of stillness and reflection, meant flying home from Nigeria and straight into the intensity of England’s training camp, preparing for their opening Six Nations fixture, against Wales next Saturday, and a championship which holds such promise for a flourishing England team.
As the conversation turns fully to rugby, Itoje is energised. England have won their past 11 Tests. They are on a promising course bound for the World Cup in 2027 with a young, vibrant and improving squad. He arrived into camp with a galvanising message.
Itoje believes that England are on the cusp of achieving something special
TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER MARC ASPLAND
“This team is going in a certain direction,” he says. “I feel like it’s a train heading north, and it’s up to all of us as players to decide whether or not we want to get on this train.
“I do believe the team is going to go on to achieve special things, and we can either be a part of it or be at home watching it on TV.
“I, for one, definitely want to be a part of it. It’s about applying myself so I can help the team and lead the team in the best way I possibly can. That is a message that will be consistent through to the World Cup.”
In 2024, England were a competitive team who lacked the depth or experience to see out games. They would fall away in the final quarter. Steve Borthwick, the head coach, worked to address that failing through 2025.
With 14 players selected by the Lions, England’s summer tour was invaluable for building depth. Guy Pepper made his debut in Argentina and went on to start all four autumn Tests. Joe Heyes, Fin Baxter and Alex Coles all stepped up as leaders of Test quality. Arthur Clark, Seb Atkinson and Max Ojomoh all impressed and are now in the senior squad.
That increased depth allowed Borthwick to borrow a strategy from South Africa and start strong while loading his bench with experience. With half an hour to go, England would send on five Lions forwards together: Ellis Genge, Jamie George, Will Stuart, Tom Curry and Henry Pollock. The sight of those brilliant white kits entering the fray had a galvanising effect on the team and the crowd. England completed a clean sweep of their autumn fixtures, with victories over Australia, Fiji, New Zealand and Argentina.
“It’s actually not the results [that gives me belief]. It’s the mindset and intensity of the team, and how it feels like the team is really becoming more and more united,” Itoje says. “What’s helped that has been the importance that Steve has placed on the bench, and the guys who aren’t in the match-day 23.
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“When we played New Zealand, the non-23 cut us alive in training on the Thursday. They cut us and cut us and cut us. If we didn’t have that intensity to our training, then we would have been in trouble when it came to the game.
“So the intensity of training, the team unity, how it feels like we’re genuinely aligned, is coming through in our performances. But it’s not something that’s static, it’s not something that you just have. You have to continue to work on it.”
Itoje and his England team-mates have been preparing for the Six Nations at a training camp in Spain
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Itoje made his international debut off the bench against Italy in Rome in 2016, stepping into a revitalised England team under Jones, with Borthwick as an assistant, who were on course to win the grand slam, sealed with a victory over France in Paris. He was man of the match against Wales on only his second Test start and World Rugby’s breakthrough player of the year. Itoje attended the ceremony in Monaco with his parents.
“I was naive,” he says, looking back on his younger self. “I think there’s a beauty in naivety, though. I was very hungry to play, I was very hungry. I wanted to have the career that I’ve gone on to have. The whole experience has been a blessing.”
England have won three Six Nations titles during Itoje’s career, in 2016, 2017 and 2020. For those who relish symmetry or symbolism, this year’s campaign also concludes with a trip to play France in Paris. “Of course, I would have loved to have won more championships,” Itoje says. “I’m excited about this campaign and this opportunity that we have in front of us. I feel like we can go on to do something special.”