‘He was taller than me at 10’ – meet the man who inspired Itoje

“When you hear stories of 10-year-olds fleeing, they flee for an hour or two before returning home.” I spent nearly three weeks on the run from home.

Some scriptwriters might find Floyd Steadman’s story too unbelievable.

Steadman explains that “my parents were Windrush generation.”

“They crossed in 1956, and I do want to remind people of how many of those immigrants came from the Caribbean, from East and West Africa, and from the Caribbean.”

After the Second World War, “They responded to the request to assist in rebuilding the motherland.”

However, Steadman suffered at home as well, just as his family and other migrants did.

When Steadman was just one year old, his mother intervened with him, and years later Steadman would do the same, unable to bear the abuse and neglect he endured.

10-year-old Steadman quickly became streetwise after sleeping in a neighbor’s shed or a neighborhood park.

He claims that I was hired on a milk round and that they paid me in old money of between 36 and 37 pence per day.

However, it also provided me with money to finish my milk round, visit the cafe, eat a big-boy’s breakfast, and purchase a packet of biscuits later in the day.

“For the better part of three weeks, I survived like this on the run in north-west London.”

His father turned down his attempts when he was eventually brought home by a police officer and a social worker after being taken in by one of his teachers.

Steadman recalls the incident when the policeman knocks on the door, my father opens the door, and I get a look of disgust.

He turned to the policeman and said, “I don’t want him back, take him away,” as the policeman had taken me into care when I was ten years old.

Steadman, a young professional rugby player, started out as a hooker before moving up to the back row as a full-back due to his quickness and ability to tackle.

However, Steadman’s switch to scrum-half proved to be successful: Steadman was drafted to his county team, took trials for England schoolboys, and was never selected for the national team.

As players like Mike Wedderburn, Chris Oti, Victor Ubogu, Steve Ojomoh, and Jeremy Guscott became the first black players to play rugby in England, he was later chosen as his team’s first black captain.

However, Steadman didn’t have any black scrum-halves other than him, despite the fact that both of these players served as excellent role models for both forwards and backs.

You have to name me another English-born black scrum-half who has competed elite rugby at the Premiership level. “This is a challenge that I ask every rugby player. He says, “I don’t believe there is,”

There must be some brown and black boys and girls who are talented enough to play scrum-half in today’s world, where there are so many talented youngsters of all shades.

“Partly because, in my opinion, there are no role models for them,” I say. My role model as a young rugby player was Gareth Edwards, the king of scrum-halves, and I don’t mind telling you that.

Steadman was determined to become a role model for himself, even though he may not have had many when he was a young player.

He rose through the ranks to become headteacher at a number of prep schools, including Salcombe in south London, after becoming a teacher.

He first encountered a young Itoje there, where he found him.

According to Steadman, who received an OBE in the 2023 New Year Honours for services to rugby, education, and charity, “from day one I remember seeing this 10-year-old black boy who was imposing, because physically he was taller than me and he was taller than me and he was 10.”

He would typically be sporting a football, tennis racket, or basketball in his hand.

“Maro, you should try this game rugby, you’re built for rugby, you’d be good,” he said, “Whatever he tried, he was just outstanding.”

His father called his father and said, “Mr. Itoje, your son might be a very good rugby player; I suggest that he begin playing at Saracens, because Saracens will look after him,” but his eyes glazed.

“I’m pleased to report that Mr. Itoje was listening to me, and Maro did so because he actually started playing rugby at his senior school,” he said.

As they say, history is the rest.

Itoje will lead the Lions on his third tour this summer, a role that Steadman believes is ideal for his former student, earning 93 England caps, five Premier League victories, and three European Champions Cup victories with Saracens.

He claims, “You’re going to see someone who is very mature and articulate.”

“In contrast to our chirpy scrum-halves, I believe he has learned to work the referees.”

I’ve watched him this year, and I congratulate him for doing that because he has undoubtedly been listening at the right moment.