Five facts about England's rugby captain Maro Itoje - ahead of 100th appearance

This weekend is set to be a special one for England captain Maro Itoje, as he reaches a huge milestone in his career.

The Saracens lock will become only the ninth men's player in history to reach 100 caps for England.

The 31-year-old is set to lead out his team at London's Twickenham stadium on Saturday, as England take on Ireland in their Six Nations match.

But where did it all begin for Itoje? Here are some top facts about him that you might not know.

Itoje is known for his huge 6ft 5in frame, boundless energy and strong leadership skills - but did you know, he didn't actually grow up playing rugby.

He was first introduced to the game at secondary school, when he was eleven years old.

As a boy, Itoje played a number of other sports such as basketball, football and athletics - and he even represent England at shot put at under-17 level.

Itoje first represented England at U18 level before captaining the U20s to the 2014 Junior World Championship title in Auckland, Australia.

He was named in England's 50‑man training squad for the 2015 Rugby World Cup, before making his first senior appearance at 21 against Italy in the 2016 Six Nations.

He was later named Player of the Match versus Wales, as England marched to a Grand Slam.

He capped that year by being named World Rugby's Breakthrough Player of the Year (2016).

Maro Itoje made his senior Saracens debut in 2013, aged 19, and 13 years later he still represents the North London club today.

Since breaking through, he has lifted eight major trophies with Saracens - five Premiership titles and three European titles.

In October 2025, Itoje reached a landmark 200 appearances for Saracens, becoming only the 17th player to do so.

Last year, Itoje made history when he was named captain of the men's British and Irish Lions for their tour of Australia.

He became the first black man to lead the team - as well as the first Englishman since 2001.

The Lions are a team made up of rugby union stars from England, Ireland, Wales and Scotland.

They're put together every four years to face one of the world's best rugby teams - rotating between Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

Itoje can often be seen wearing a pearl earring in his left ear.

That's a nod to two things - the fact that he's been nicknamed 'The Pearl' by his team mates, and also because of The Pearl Fund which Itoje launched in 2023.

The initiative aims to provide children in the UK, and in African countries such as Nigeria and Ghana, with educational support.