Maro Itoje Saracens Contract: England Captain Stays Put

The Maro Itoje Saracens contract story has a happy ending for England: the lock has agreed a new deal with his club, believed to run until 2029. It ends the Top 14 speculation and means the 31-year-old stays eligible for Test rugby through the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia and beyond.

Itoje’s existing deal, signed in 2024, was due to expire after next year’s tournament. Perpignan and Bordeaux-Begles had both been mooted as destinations. For me, this is the best piece of news England have had this autumn, because a move to France would have put his Test career on hold.

Maro Itoje New Deal 2026: What Has Been Agreed

Saracens head coach Brendan Venter, in his second spell in charge, confirmed the outcome. “He is staying,” Venter said, as quoted by the Guardian. “He has agreed with the owner. It’s brilliant of Maro, Maro is everything we want at the club. He’s an unbelievable human being, he’s a brilliant leader, he’s such a good rugby player.”

Itoje first played for Saracens in 2013 and has been there since he was a teenager. He stayed through their single season in the Championship, the punishment for repeated salary cap breaches.

He has 102 caps and has made more Test appearances than any other player in the world game since his England debut in 2016. Venter also pointed to his fitness: “He’s always got energy so Maro’s been so good in the pre-season for us.” Itoje revealed last month that this summer was his first full pre-season with Saracens since 2014.

That follows a rest from England’s summer Tests against South Africa, Fiji and Argentina, agreed between club and country after several gruelling seasons.

Maro Itoje Top 14 Clubs: Why France Was Tempting

French newspaper Midi-Olympique claimed that European champions Bordeaux-Begles and Perpignan had been alerted to Itoje’s potential availability. Racing 92 have also been credited with interest in the past, without a move happening.

The money explains the appeal. The Top 14 headline salary cap is 11m euros (£9.2m), against £6.4m in the Premiership. A five-year Canal Plus broadcast deal also starts next season.

Factor	Premiership	Top 14
Headline salary cap	£6.4m	11m euros (£9.2m)
Marquee player outside the cap	One per club	No
England selection	Eligible	Not picked by the RFU
Central England contract	About £150,000 a year	Not available

It was not a new idea. Itoje was said to have explored a Top 14 loan when Saracens were relegated in 2020, and he was linked with the mooted R360 breakaway league. On that, he said at the time that “playing for England is the mecca”.

England Rugby Squad: Why Maro Itoje Staying Matters

The Rugby Football Union does not select overseas-based players, and Itoje would have been a huge loss. The end of a World Cup cycle is a natural exit point. Jack Willis, Joe Marchant and David Ribbans moved to France straight after the 2023 tournament. Courtney Lawes, Lewis Ludlam, Kyle Sinckler, Owen Farrell, Manu Tuilagi, Jonny May and Billy Vunipola followed the next summer.

Itoje goes the other way. He was among the first players to receive an enhanced England contract worth £150,000 in 2024 and has stayed in the selected group since. It is understood that none of the existing deals run beyond the World Cup in Australia, so those terms will need renewing.

Whether Steve Borthwick is still head coach is open, but either he or his successor gets the benefit. Keep up with the autumn build-up on our international rugby news page.

Maro Itoje Salary: What We Know

No figure has been given for the new deal. An earlier report put his Saracens pay at around £800,000 a year, with a £400,000 offer on the table once the one-marquee rule arrived and a £1m ask reported by The Rugby Paper. Those numbers date from when he was 29.

Staying matters financially too. The Premiership allows one marquee player per club outside the cap, which may give Saracens room to compete with French offers. Keeping an England contract adds about £150,000 a year.

Jack’s Verdict

I think the RFU should keep the overseas ban at least until the 2027 World Cup is over, and Itoje’s decision is the best argument for it. Willis has won the Top 14 player of the season award in each of the past two campaigns while sitting outside the England picture, and Lawes and Ellis Genge both want the bar scrapped, so the other side has a strong case. But a rule that kept a 102-cap captain available for the next cycle is doing its job. The best outcome is Itoje fit and fresh as England captain in Australia, then back at Saracens to 2029 with the argument about the rule settled afterwards.

Your questions answered

Is Maro Itoje still playing for Saracens?

Yes. Itoje has agreed a new deal with Saracens, believed to run until 2029, and Brendan Venter has said “He is staying”. His previous contract was due to expire after the 2027 World Cup. He first played for the club in 2013 and has been there since he was a teenager.

What is Maro Itoje’s salary in rugby?

The new Saracens figure has not been given. An earlier report put his club pay at around £800,000 a year. He has also received an enhanced England contract worth £150,000 since 2024. Staying in England keeps him eligible for that central deal, which overseas-based players cannot get.

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