England’s Nigerian-born rugby captain, Maro Itoje has added his voice to ongoing debate about the national team playing matches in France and declared that he has nothing against it, Sports247 reports.
Although rugby stalwarts insist playing on tour in France would be against a long-held tradition that has been laid down regarding England’s rugby friendlies, Itoje reckoned that there won’t be any harm in trying something new.
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The Lions currently rotate their tours among New Zealand, South Africa and Australia every four years but new destinations are being explored by bosses as part of an innovative ‘Beyond29 project’, according to The Telegraph.
The proposal will see the British & Irish Lions face France for the first time in nearly 40 years ahead of the 2029 tour to New Zealand, with trips to the Americas and Japan also being considered, all of which Itoje said he has nothing against.
The Saracens star, who captained The Lions for their 2025 tour to Australia, told Sky Sports News that he welcomes the idea of England’s team touring France in the future, but admitted he is also a stickler for tradition in rugby games.
Itoje said, “One of the great things about the Lions is tradition. I grew up watching the Lions play South Africa, New Zealand and Australia. They’re all great tours and I think there’s probably scope for the Lions to play games against France.
“I think with evolution, it’s about exploring new opportunities, whilst remaining true to its traditional core. Maybe a full-blown tour to France might be a good thing or maybe just a one-off game before they play the traditional three nations.”
