Maro Itoje Named Saracens' New Captain For The 2024/2025 Season
By Mohamed Bahaa
Owen Farrell just moved to Racing 92, hence Saracens Rugby Club has appointed England star Maro Itoje as their new captain for the forthcoming 2024/2025 season. Since his 2013 debut, second-row powerhouse Itoje has been a prominent player for Saracens and has been instrumental in the team's success over years.
Itoje’s appointment as captain came soon after signing a new long-term contract with the team, therefore confirming his dedication to Saracens. With Farrell gone, the 29-year-old Itoje is poised to take on a pivotal leadership position both on and off the field, bringing the squad toward a new chapter at StoneX Stadium.
With an outstanding 181 appearances for Saracens, Itoje is on target to reach the 200-match record in the near future. Having joined the senior squad at the age of 19, he has been crucial in guiding the team to three Champions Cup triumphs, five Premiership wins. Among his own achievements are three nominations for World Rugby Player of the Year and a 2016 European Player of the Year title. He has also represented England 84 times, been on two British & Irish Lions tours.
Declaring his enthusiasm about his new position, Itoje remarked, “I am extremely humbled and honored to be asked to captain this special club. I have been here since I was 14 and it has been an amazing journey. I love this club and I feel that we are in a very exciting place with the talent and the people here, the energy we have and the direction we are going. The great thing about team sports is I won’t be doing it alone, we have lots of leaders in this group and together we can create something really special.”
Saracens' Director of Rugby, Mark McCall, expressed his excitement over Itoje's appointment and commended his long-standing loyalty to the team. “You don’t come across many people like Maro. From his early days in our academy, at 14 years old, we all knew we were witnessing the development of someone special,” McCall commented. “He is the epitome of a Saracens player: fiercely dedicated to his craft, kind and compassionate to his teammates, and diligent in pursuing his education and charity work away from the field. Maro has Saracens in his DNA, and we are delighted he will captain the team and lead this club into its next chapter.”
With Itoje heading the push into what promises to be a thrilling new era for the club, Saracens are ready to start their new season with an away game against Gloucester on September 21.
JUDY ROTICH