• Captain will resist lure of big-money move to France

• ‘Maro is everything we want at the club – a brilliant leader’

Maro Itoje has reaffirmed his long‑term commitment to England, rejecting interest from France by agreeing a new deal with Saracens.

Itoje’s existing deal, signed in 2024, was due to expire after the World Cup next year but he has agreed terms with his club despite interest from Top 14 sides. A move to either Perpignan or Bordeaux had been mooted but the 31-year-old is to commit his future to the club he first represented in 2013 with a new deal, believed to be until 2029.

The extension is a significant boost for Saracens, who are in a period of transition with Brendan Venter at the helm for a second time and will enable Itoje, who has 102 caps, to continue his international career. It remains to be seen whether Steve Borthwick will still be in charge of the England side but either the national head coach or his successor is to benefit.

“He is staying,” Venter said of Itoje. “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, I’m so glad the owner and him could agree terms.”

Itoje was rested for England’s summer Tests against South Africa, Fiji and Argentina after showing signs of fatigue throughout the season on the back of several gruelling campaigns. He has made more Test appearances than any other player in the world game since his international debut in 2016 and revealed last month that this summer he had enjoyed his first full pre‑season with Saracens since 2014.

“He’s always got energy so Maro’s been so good in the pre-season for us,” Venter said. “We’re lucky because Maro is always developing.”

Itoje has been linked with a move to France before and was said to have explored the option of going to the Top 14 on loan when Saracens were relegated in 2020. Such a severe workload in recent seasons added to the speculation that he may seek a lucrative move across the Channel.

He was also linked with the mooted R360 breakaway league but said at the time that “playing for England is the mecca”. Itoje was among the first tranche of players to receive an enhanced England contract worth £150,000 in 2024 and has since stayed in the selected group. It is understood, however, that none of the existing deals go beyond the World Cup in Australia next year.

Meanwhile, the Lions lock Hyron Andrews’s death was caused by an aortic dissection, a tear in the body’s main artery, the South African rugby team have said. The former Sale player died at the team hotel last Friday, a day before the Lions played the French side La Rochelle in the European Champions Cup, a game that went ahead in honour of the 31-year-old. French media reported that Andrews was found unconscious in a shower cubicle at a hotel on the Île de Ré in France, where the team had been staying.