Saracens are hopeful of extending Maro Itoje’s contract beyond next year’s Rugby World Cup, but the England captain is facing the biggest decision of his career — with French Top 14 clubs circling and his Test future hanging in the balance.
Maro Itoje (Credits: BBC Sport)
England career on the line
Discussions are under way to keep the 102-cap second row at Saracens, where he has played since his teenage years. But the stakes are enormous: under RFU policy, overseas-based players are not selected for England, so any move to France would put Itoje’s international career on hold. He will be 33 by the end of the World Cup — potentially his final chance to take up longstanding French interest.
French newspaper Midi-Olympique reports that European champions Bordeaux-Begles and Perpignan are among the clubs alerted to his potential availability, with Paris-based Racing 92 also credited with past interest.
Can Saracens compete financially?
The numbers favor France: the Top 14 salary cap stands at €11m (£9.2m), far above the Premiership’s £6.4m, backed by a blockbuster new Canal Plus broadcast deal. But Saracens have a card to play — the Premiership’s marquee player rule lets one player per club sit outside the cap, and staying in England would keep Itoje eligible for a central England contract worth around £150,000 a year.
One thing is certain: after staying loyal through Saracens’ Championship season and becoming England’s captain, whatever Itoje decides next will shape the endgame of one of English rugby’s great careers.
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Source: BBC Sport — read the full story there.
