Maro Itoje hopeful English rugby’s racism investigation can change game

‘We need to be anti-racist and eradicate this from our sport’

'RACISM NEEDS TO BE ERADICATED': Saracens' Maro Itoje after the Gallagher Premiership match at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.. Pic: Ben Whitley/PA Wire.

Maro Itoje says English rugby’s racism investigation should be a watershed moment for the game but has warned change will not occur overnight. The England forward says he has also been the victim of “below standard” remarks in the past but hopes the Rugby Football Union’s efforts to enhance diversity and inclusion in the sport will improve the situation.

This week a Rugby Football Union report, prompted by Luther Burrell’s allegations of racism while he was a Newcastle player in 2020, found examples of racism “in every area of elite rugby” in England. Itoje, who has spoken out previously on the subject of race and discrimination, believes it underlines the need to work even harder to ensure rugby is perceived as accessible for all.