There are certain families for whom playing rugby at an exceptionally high level seems to just come naturally.
Successful rugby brothers such as the Vunipola’s (Billy and Mako), the Underwood’s (Rory & Tony), the Hasting’s (Gavin and Scott), the Umaga’s (Mike & Tana) and the Gray’s (Jonny & Richie) amongst others have all left their indelible mark on the beautiful game.
However, there are loads of other relations playing the game at an elite level, ranging from brothers to cousins to fathers to the slightly more tenuous link.
Here are such players who you may be surprised are related (even if just a little bit).
#1. Maro Itoje & Ollie Thorley
Gloucester speedster Thorley is Itoje’s cousin, after his grandfather re-married a Nigerian woman who is the Saracens lock’s aunt.
Maro Itoje facts:
- As a schoolboy, Itoje played several sports including basketball, football, rugby and athletics, representing England at U17 level in shot put
- Maro got a rugby scholarship to London Harrow school when he was 11. He then studied for a Politics degree at the School of Oriental and African Studies in Bloomsbury, London at the same time as starting his rugby career
- He is also the cousin of Bath’s loosehead-prop Beno Obano
- The lock was born Oghenemaro Miles Itoje in Camden, London on 28 October 1994 to Nigerian parents
