Maro Itoje departure ‘never in the question’ despite Saracens’ relegation
DONCASTER, ENGLAND - APRIL 18: Maro Itoje of Saracens looks on during the Greene King IPA Championship match between Doncaster Knights and Saracens at Castle Park on April 18, 2021 in Doncaster, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)
Maro Itoje has said that leaving Saracens was “never in the question” despite the club's enforced relegation from the Premiership over salary cap breaches.
Itoje, 27, made eight appearances in his side's Championship campaign, and will be hoping his side can repeat the feat of finishing second in the league before winning the play-off final this Saturday, as they did in the second tier last season.
If victorious, Saracens would claim a fifth title in six possible attempts, having been unable to compete for the top prize in both 2020 and 2021, owing to their 105-point deduction in the former, and being in the Championship in the latter.
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live he said: “To me this club is more than just a rugby club, it is more than just my employer. I genuinely do care about the club.
“It is my boyhood club. Where my parents live in Edgeware is 10 minutes away from Copthall.
“Saracens is truly a special club with a special environment. It is the people who make it special – it is the staff, it is the players, it is the ownership to the kit man. Everyone is important.”
The club's enforced relegation was a result of cap overspends amounting to £7million between 2016-2019, though the club were allowed to retain the trophies they won in that period: two Premiership and European Champions Cup titles each.
Though they had to let certain high-paid players go to ensure they went below the cap, such as Will Skelton, Liam Williams and Richard Wigglesworth, they were able to retain Itoje, who is widely reported to be earning over £750,000 a year alongside Owen Farrell.
And although the 56-capped England international found it a “humbling experience” to play in the Championship, he felt it brought the team together, setting them up for the final they will feature in this weekend.
He said: “Going to places like Nottingham and Doncaster Knights, especially during Covid, it was like rolling back the years.
“But I think it was good for us. That year a lot of young guys found their way. Those types of experiences either bring you tighter together or further apart, and I would like to think it brought us tighter together.
“Saturday is a chance for us to make a new memory for ourselves, and to make an even tighter bond, and that's why it is so exciting.”
