Maro Itoje to quit rugby for very different new career 

The 31-year-old has been given this summer off, with Steve Borthwick resting his skipper for England’s Nations Championship campaign against South Africa, Fiji and Argentina.

Itoje has endured a relentless workload in recent years, including captaining the British & Irish Lions before another demanding season for Saracens and England.

But while the second-row is using the summer to finally recharge, he has already revealed when he expects to walk away from the game.

Itoje plans to retire at 35, meaning the end of his glittering career is now potentially just a few years away.

“When I’m 35. That’s a healthy age to retire,” he told The Times.

“It’s a good age to throw yourself at a new challenge and it gives me a good four years to really dip into the rugby.”

The England captain has previously spoken about wanting to start a new challenge while still young enough to fully commit to something away from the sport.

And it appears that challenge is already taking shape.

Away from rugby, Itoje has built an increasingly serious presence in the art world.

In 2023, he launched Akoje Gallery, a roaming gallery created to provide greater exposure for underrepresented African artists.

A year later, he founded the Akoje Residency in partnership with the King’s Foundation at Dumfries House, with ambitions to build one of the world’s largest art residency programmes.

Itoje is also a member of the Frieze91 Committee, an ambassador for the Young V&A and has previously curated for Sotheby’s.

His passion for art is no longer simply a hobby alongside rugby.

“Rugby is currently winning and on top, but not for ever,” Itoje has previously said.

“Art might overtake. For me, pursuing art keeps me and my mind refreshed and buoyant.”

He has also made his long-term plans clear, saying: “So I’m building my life for after rugby. And art and my gallery are central to that.”

Itoje’s interests stretch far beyond the pitch.

The forward studied politics at university and has also completed an MBA, while his work away from rugby includes the Pearl Fund, which supports educational opportunities for children.

He has previously spoken about a possible future in business, while his long-standing interest in politics and public life means another career change further down the line cannot be ruled out.

However, his most immediate post-rugby path appears increasingly clear.

With Itoje already running a gallery and expanding his work in the art world, the England captain looks set to swap the rugby pitch for a very different arena when he finally calls time on his career.