Faith amid the fury - how Lion king Itoje keeps his peace

BBC News

a day ago

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., externalAsked 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".This time around, at the very centre of the hype and hoopla, he is determined to keep his calm and routine.
"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."It is a massive market and full of talent and we want to help provide opportunities for artists in our care."
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., external 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., externalThe 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."That would be quite bad."