Archive July 1, 2025

Maro Itoje’s head has been in Moussa’s hands for more than a decade.

From behind the barber’s chair, Moussa has seen Itoje mature from a much-hyped teenager to a three-time 30-year-old British and Irish Lion.

Now captain for the first time, one of Itoje’s final appointments before departing for Australia is to have his mane trimmed.

“It has been a while,” says Itoje of his and Moussa’s relationship.

“It is going to be a challenge on tour.

“You always have to have some trust – a bit of a leap of faith – when you walk into a new barber’s chair. Especially in Australia, where I don’t think they are too used to Afro-Caribbean hair! “

Faith, and contingency plans, will be a theme for Itoje over the next five weeks.

When asked about how religion fitted into his tactics, former Labour spin guru Alastair Campbell famously said “we don’t do God”.

Itoje, who was introduced to Campbell by England team manager Richard Hill as a youngster and remains in touch, definitely does.

At his unveiling as Lions captain in May, he revealed he had missed Bible study to be there.

When he was promoted to England captain in January, his pastor was one of six people he told before the public announcement.

Asked about the long journey to both posts, Itoje has a simple explanation: “God’s timing is always the best time. “

“In the last two or three years I have made a conscious decision to double down in that regard,” he tells BBC Sport.

“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.

“The humility that I have tried to embody throughout my life definitely comes from knowing that everything I have has been a gift, not by my own doing, but by the guy upstairs. “

By Itoje’s high standards and own admission, that humility wasn’t always present on previous Lions tours.

He has described his 22-year-old self, who won over the Lions fans’ sea of red in New Zealand in 2017, as “a little bit brash and a bit naive”.

“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. “

Itoje’s previous Lions tours have come down to the wire.

In New Zealand, his team was ahead for only three minutes across three Tests, but came away with a drawn series.

In South Africa, four years later, Morne Steyn’s kick, two minutes from time in the deciding third encounter, dashed the tourists’ dreams.

The margins are small. The emotions are vast. The pressure is a thousand leagues deep.

It can scramble the composure of the best. But Itoje has his philosophy and his peace.

“Sport is unpredictable, you don’t know how things are going to transpire,” he says.

“Sometimes you can deserve to win and lose, and sometimes you can deserve to lose and win – there is not necessarily rhyme or reason for that.

“You have to just stay as consistent as possible through your actions and hope, through it all, you end up in the place you are supposed to be. “

Faith is just one part of a hinterland as wide as the outback. Itoje describes himself as having a “portfolio existence” off the pitch.

The Akoje Gallery, which Itoje founded in 2023, is a prominent part

“There is a commercial aspect to it – we want to sell art – but we also want to propel and promote art, particularly African art,” he says.

Last year, the Akoje Gallery funded residencies for seven artists to spend time developing their work at the stately Dumfries House in rural Ayrshire in Scotland.

Itoje also set up the Pearl Fund, which helps disadvantaged children in Nigeria and the United Kingdom. He has a keen interest in politics. He has a degree in it from SOAS, University of London. He has since earned a Masters degree in business as well.

As a teenage travelling reserve for Saracens, he spent a coach trip to Newcastle composing poetry. More recently he has trodden the catwalk as a model.

In April, at a Downing Street reception to mark St George’s Day, he was the star turn, giving a speech in which he talked about Englishness and identity.

“I believe human beings are multi-faceted, we are not a monolith,” he said.

“I am a rugby player, I am an athlete, but that is what I do, not who I am. I have other interests. “

He finished by jokily making a play for the job of Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who was standing next to him.

The breadth of his interests and the depth of his thought have triggered suspicion in some.

Former England coach Eddie Jones publicly doubted whether Itoje was captaincy material. Jones claimed Itoje was “very inward-looking” and lacked influence over his team-mates.

Itoje politely, but firmly, disagreed. So far, events seem to support the younger man.

Itoje’s clear, calm 80-minute leadership carried England to a second-place finish in this year’s Six Nations.

At Saracens, footage of his pep talks – passionate, canny and expletive-free – have been engaging viewing.

The Lions are another level. There is more scrutiny, and fewer home comforts.

As he approaches the pinnacle though, Itoje has perspective.

Except, perhaps, about the hair.

“I hope not,” he smiles when asked about the prospect of accidentally acquiring a mullet down under.

More than ten years ago, Moussa’s head was in his hands.

Itoje has grown from a highly anticipated teenager to a three-time 30-year-old British and Irish Lion, according to Moussa from the back of the barber’s chair.

One of Itoje’s final appointments before departing for Australia is having his mane trimmed, which he has done for the first time.

Itoje describes the relationship between him and Moussa as “a long”

“It will be challenging on tour.

When you walk into a new barber’s chair, you always need to have some faith, a little bit of a leap of faith. I don’t believe people are too used to Afro-Caribbean hair, especially in Australia!

Over the following five weeks, Itoje will focus on faith and emergency plans.

Former Labour spin guru Alastair Campbell famously said, “We don’t do God. ” When asked about how religion fit into his tactics.

Itoje, who was and continues to be a part of the England team as a youngster, is a true pro.

He revealed that he had missed Bible study while attending his unveiling as Lions captain in May.

His pastor was one of the six people he told before the official announcement that he had been promoted to England captain in January.

Itoje responds to the question about the lengthy travel to both posts with the simple statement, “God’s timing is always the best time.”

He tells BBC Sport, “In the past two or three years, I have made a conscious decision to double down.”

“My entire life was probably a lukewarm Christian,” I said. I probably attended church, but I didn’t really live up to the principles or values, but I’ve always been a believer.

“The person upstairs has given me the humility I have always tried to embody,” he said. “It is unquestionably a gift, not my own doing, but because I know that.”

Itoje’s high standards and his own admission demonstrate that humility hasn’t always been present on previous Lions tours.

He described his 22-year-old self as “a little bit brash and naive,” who won over the Lions fans’ sea of red in 2017 in New Zealand.

He states, “I try to have a daily amount of time that I spend, whether that is reading the Bible or praying, ideally both.”

“I try to study the Bible at least once per week.

“I’m going to try to keep my system up with whatsapp and Zoom calls,” I said.

Itoje’s previous Lions tours ended abruptly.

His team won a drawn series in New Zealand with only three minutes of lead after three Tests.

Four years later, two minutes after the decisive third encounter, Morne Steyn’s kick destroyed the tourists’ dreams in South Africa.

The margins are thin. There are a lot of emotions. The pressure is inexhaustible.

It has the best’s composure scrambled. However, Itoje maintains both his peace and philosophy.

You can’t predict what will happen, he says. Sport is unpredictable.

There is no magic formula for the phrase “sometimes you can deserve to win and lose, and occasionally you can deserve to lose and win.”

You must aim to remain as consistent with your actions as possible, hoping that you will arrive where you are supposed to be throughout it all.

A vast hinterland is only one-third as wide as the outback in terms of faith. Itoje describes his “portfolio existence” off the ice as being “portfolio.”

Itoje founded the Akoje Gallery in 2023, and it is a significant part of it.

He claims that while there is a commercial component to it, “we want to sell art,” he also wants to encourage and advance African art, particularly.

Seven artists received grants from the Akoje Gallery last year to develop their work at Scotland’s picturesque Dumfries House.

The Pearl Fund, which aids underprivileged children in Nigeria and the UK, was established by Itoje. He is passionate about politics. He received a degree in it from the University of London’s SOAS. Since then, he has also earned a business master’s degree.

He traveled to Newcastle on a coach trip as a teenager’s traveling reserve for the Saracens, where he wrote poetry. He has modelled on the catwalk more recently.

He gave a speech about Englishness and identity at a Downing Street reception in April to celebrate St. George’s Day.

He said, “I think people are multi-faceted people; we are not a monolith.”

“I play rugby, I play the sport, but that’s what I do, not who I am. There are also interests for me.

He came to a happy conclusion by making a joke joke about Keir Starmer, the prime minister, standing next to him.

Some people have become suspicious because of his broad interests and depth of thought.

Eddie Jones, a former England coach, openly doubted that Itoje would make a good captain. Jones claimed That Itoje lacked influence over his teammates and was “very inward-looking.”

Itoje firmly disagreed, politely, but with all due respect. Events so far seem to favor the younger man.

England won the second place finish at this year’s Six Nations thanks to Itoje’s clear, composed leadership in 80 minutes.

Video of his passionate, funny, and expletive-free pep talks at Saracens has been fascinating to watch.

Another level of The Lions. There are fewer comforts at home and more scrutiny.

However, Itoje has perspective as he approaches the pinnacle.

Perhaps the hair, though, is the exception.

When he is inquired about the possibility of unintentionally acquiring a mullet down under, he smiles and says, “I hope not.”

Hugo Keenan, a member of Ireland’s rugby 7s squad, was preparing for the Paris Olympics a year ago.

He’s now prepared to stake his claim to the title of British and Irish Lions test player, while also adding a little history to the process.

The Irish full-back will become the first Irish player to represent their country at the Olympics and the Lions when he takes to the field against the Queensland Reds on Wednesday.

“I wouldn’t make comparisons to either.” According to Keenan, the closest comparison I could make is that entering a new squad left you with that almost butterfly-like jitter from meeting new people.

In the Sevens squad, it was comparable. You can only know about 50% of the squad’s members because I knew them and developed close relationships with them like the Lions, where you know your country’s teammates and meet a few new ones.

I’m definitely trying to incorporate some of the lessons I learned from leaving a new team, squad, or sport into the Lions into the process of trying to make those connections. “But then there’s also new guys here.

“I’ve had the honor of being a part of that Olympic journey, and I’m honored to be here today on this Lions journey. I’m just feeling very privileged.

The Ireland full-back has had a frustrating start to his Lions tour because of a calf injury that prevented him from missing Leinster’s end-of-season victory in the United Rugby Championship.

After England’s Elliot Daly faced off against the Western Force by scoring two tries and putting in an impressive performance, the battle for the full-back shirt is now far-out in his absence and with Blair Kinghorn, who will arrive in Brisbane on Monday evening following Toulouse’s victory in the Top 14.

“It’s been a frustrating couple of weeks since I missed the Leinster final, and possibly not being able to participate as much as I would have liked,” I said.