Nigerian-born Maro Itoje has been appointed captain of the British and Irish Lions for their upcoming tour of Australia, becoming the first Black player to lead the historic team since its inception in 1888.
The 30-year-old Saracens star described the honour as “deeply humbling,” adding, “I will do my best to do the role justice. I am very much looking forward to the challenge ahead, it’s going to be a great tour.”
Itoje is only the third Englishman in the past 89 years to captain the Lions, following in the footsteps of Martin Johnson, who last led the team on a tour of Australia in 2001. His appointment comes after Ireland skipper Caelan Doris was ruled out of the squad due to a shoulder injury requiring surgery.
A key figure in the England squad, Itoje captained his national side during this year’s Six Nations, leading them to a second-place finish with four consecutive wins. He has also been a standout performer on his previous two Lions tours—in New Zealand in 2017 as the youngest player selected, and again in South Africa in 2021.
Speaking on how he received the news, Itoje shared that he got a call from an Irish number after training on Tuesday. The line crackled and then dropped, but he recognized the voice as Lions head coach Andy Farrell. Farrell called back shortly after to ask, “Would you like to be British and Irish Lions captain?”
The announcement was followed by a special dinner with past Lions captains in London, which Itoje described as inspiring. “It’s a brotherhood, it’s a unique club,” he said. “It’s our responsibility now to take it forward and ensure the Lions continues to be elevated.”
Itoje’s leadership credentials date back to 2014 when he captained England’s Under-20s to victory at the Junior World Cup. Although former England coach Eddie Jones once deemed him too “inward looking” to lead, Itoje has since grown into a commanding presence on and off the pitch.
“Maro has absolutely thrived on all of that leadership,” said Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall. “He is very much a leader by what he does and how consistent he is.”
The Lions’ campaign will begin with a fixture against Argentina in Dublin on June 20. The Australia tour includes five warm-up matches, leading into a three-Test series: the opener in Brisbane on July 19, followed by games on July 26 and August 2.
