The Times Magazine 15in terms of how a young generation, black and
white, thinks about history and racism.”
That view must make the England dressing
room a pretty interesting place. In 2020, Itoje
appeared on BBC Radio 4 presenter Nick
Robinson’s Political Thinking podcast and the
pair discussed the fallout from the George
Floyd murder.
Robinson pointed out that Itoje’s England
colleague Courtney Lawes was angry that
BLM protests had been hijacked by “angry
lefties”. Lawes further tweeted, “England is not
a racist country,” and even took the trouble
to admonish Manchester United star Marcus
Rashford for a widely lauded free school meals
campaign (Lawes suggested Rashford should
encourage parents to be financially secure and
married before having children). Itoje didn’t
want to respond directly to Lawes’ comments.
But what he did say was interesting. He
asserted that some black people had to
“unpack” their “internalised racism”.
What did he mean?
“Black people are conditioned to think
certain things. For example, TV, books, media
and societal norms have dictated that our view
of beauty is Eurocentric. Believe me, there are
a lot of black men in the UK who do not find
black women attractive. In my opinion that’s
due to media images, TV and adverts. I don’t
think this, but let’s say I didn’t find Chinese
people attractive. I might be able to square
that but when it’s your own race, that shows
a bias that’s been internalised within yourself.
This isn’t a case of a couple of hundred
black men – it’s a general trend. And it’s
predominantly black men towards black
women, not the other way round. From my
experience, black women love black men.”
Itoje says he has seen the devastating effect
this has had on black women’s self-esteem.
“The culture of skin bleaching and skin-
lightening creams is still a massive issue in the
UK, America and Africa. It’s another example
of how we have been sold the idea that lighter
skin is better.”
“I think black men in the UK need to
be educated. People get defensive when
you talk about this stuff and I wish it wasn’t
that way. It’s not meant to be an attack on
anybody. It’s just that black women should
be shown love – I hope they know what
I think of them.”
The aftermath of George Floyd’s death
triggered widespread soul-searching across
education and the media, from museums
to boardrooms. The world of rugby is not
immune. England governing body the RFU
has reappraised its stance on the fan anthem
Swing Low, Sweet Chariot, a 19th-century
African-American slave song. It has stopped
selling merchandise that includes the lyrics
and no longer displays the words on its
electronic stadium billboards. Is that enough?“I don’t believe there’s any malicious
intent. But it is weird how an African-
American spiritual has become a drinking
song about banging a few beers. I mean,
it’s kind of fascinating how something can
become so detached from its roots. But once
you know the original context, what do you
do? I don’t believe in policing personal choice.
I have never thought the fans have meant
anything negative by singing it.”
Itoje is only 27 but he can sound like
a wise old man, weighing things carefully,
seeing both sides. He hosts his own podcast
called Pearl Conversations (his nickname
is “the Pearl”). In a chat with former New
Labour spin doctor Alastair Campbell, the
latter told him always being known for one
thing could be a burden. Itoje would always be
an England international, regardless of what
he achieved in the future.
“Not if I become the prime minister of the
UK or president of Nigeria?” asked Itoje. It
was quite the riposte. Is he seriously thinking
about a career in politics?
“Politics is a rough game – in many ways,
I would say rougher than rugby. In rugby you
see them coming. And you know what they
want: the ball. But who knows? All I can say
is it really interests me.”
Few England players can have had quite
such a fully formed geopolitical outlook. On
social media he comments on China’s Belt
and Road policy in Uganda, the scourge of
police brutality in Nigeria or the career of
recently deceased Colin Powell, America’s
first African-American secretary of state.
He admires recently retired German
chancellor Angela Merkel and Labour
leader Sir Keir Starmer.
“I liked Alastair Campbell’s book [Winners:
And How They Succeed] because it clearly
defines the differences between objective,
strategy and tactics. All great leaders have
that knowledge.”
Do his team-mates ever tease him about
his interests?
“No, never. You only get humbled if
you’re cocky and I don’t think I am. I’m
not the only one with outside interests.
Some of them are obsessed with brewing
the perfect cup of coffee. Others race cars
or play golf. I can’t play golf to save my life- they respect that.”
Itoje credits family and education with
his own success. Efe and Florence arrived
in the UK from Nigeria in the Nineties.
They were loving but strict, his father telling
him he could pursue his rugby career as
long as he made it to university. Itoje made
his debut for Saracens while still a politics
undergraduate at the School of Oriental and
African Studies (part of the University of
London) and made his England debut the
year he graduated.
Swing Low, Sweet
Chariot? ‘I don’t believe
there’s any malicious
intent when fans sing it’
With Jay-Z – Itoje is part of his Roc Nation rosterAbove: at Wimbledon in 2019. Below: at the Signature
African Art gallery in London, May 2021MAROITOJE/TWITTER, PAUL EDWARDS/THE SUN, RICHARD POHLE