‘Going again after you've achieved your dream is pretty special'

Telegraph

18-02-2025

For most professional rugby players, the journey begins long before the stadium lights and international caps. The road to the top is paved with sacrifice, self-belief and an unwavering commitment to improvement.
For England captain Maro Itoje and his team-mates Ben Earl and Henry Slade, the dream started in different ways – some from childhood aspirations, others from the simple joy of playing – but their paths converged in the shared pursuit of excellence.
A long road to success
Back row Ben Earl's vision was clear from the outset. 'I think anyone's dream is to represent their country,' he says. 'Once you turn professional, you think about where you can go with your career, and playing for England was always the goal.'
Methodical, skilled and determined, Ben Earl's passion for rugby is fuelled by the honour of representing his country
Credit : Shutterstock
His path was methodical, compartmentalising each stage of progress. 'You play for your club first,' he says. 'Then you start thinking, can I push to higher honours? Realising it's a slow process is half the battle.'
Henry Slade earned his 70th cap in England's opening match of the 2025 Guinness Men's Six Nations. He remembers the precise moment his ambition crystallised.
'I first played rugby just because I enjoyed it,' The Exeter Chiefs player says, 'but then I watched the 2003 World Cup and thought, 'I want to play for England and I want to win a World Cup.''
No way through as Henry Slade puts in a dominant tackle against Ireland in this year's Guinness Six Nations
Credit : Shutterstock
Slade spent countless hours in his garden, perfecting his kicking and playing one-on-one games against his childhood friend Leon Fricker. 'We'd go hammer and tongs at each other, first to 50 in any sport – tries in rugby, goals in football, you name it,' he explains. 'He's a pro golfer now, so I guess we were always going to end up in sport.'
Captain Itoje's beginnings were more understated. 'My dream was just to have fun, to play for my school, to make friends. Later down the line, the dream evolved and became something bigger,' says the Saracens lock.
Their methods for improvement varied, but the one common thread was their relentless drive.
For Itoje, growth was an obsession: 'I just wanted to get better. I worked hard at where I was weak and made my strengths even stronger. It all came from a deep love of the game.'
Maro Itoje leads the England team from the front with his pure strength and determination
Credit : Getty
Making sacrifices
For all three, a love for the game alone wasn't enough. Each player had to make tough choices along the way. Itoje acknowledges the personal cost of playing rugby at the elite level.
'The professionalism required means you miss a whole load of social gatherings – weddings, birthdays, engagements, holidays. Until this day, it's a sacrifice I continue to make,' he says.
Slade, who by his own admission had to work harder than some naturally gifted peers, has no regrets. 'I missed a lot of parties growing up, but I don't look back and think, 'I wish I went to that party.' I'm so glad I stuck by what I believed in.'
Earl takes a more lighthearted approach, noting even the small indulgences he's had to forego. 'A milkshake at the cinema, New Year's Eve, Christmases: there are little things you can't have if you want to make it to the top.'
For Itoje, Slade and Earl, sacrifice is imperative for greater rugby success
Credit : Getty
Unexpected hurdles
Challenges, both expected and unexpected, shaped their careers. For Slade, the biggest hurdle came just as he was about to embark on his professional journey. 'I was 18, about to start at Exeter Chiefs, and I got diagnosed with diabetes. Within a month, I was living on my own with Jack Nowell and Luke Cowan-Dickie – neither of whom had any idea what diabetes was. It took a lot of adjusting, but it made me stronger.'
Earl acknowledges that setbacks are part of the game. 'Dealing with failure – when you don't deliver on something you expected – is half the battle.'
For all three, achieving their dreams was both fulfilling and fleeting. Earl describes it as 'a day, a week, a year of fulfilment, but then you have to go again. That's pretty special, going again once you've reached your dream'.
Slade recalls his first professional paycheck, a milestone that signified more than just financial independence. He says: 'I'd worked on my granddad's farm for years and got paid with a can of Coke and a pat on the back. That first paycheck was special – not for the money, but for the opportunity to fulfil my dreams.'
Itoje's attitude, unsurprisingly, reflects his status as a captain. Having won multiple trophies, he still wants more. 'I've been fortunate enough to win trophies on the field so far. I want to win more. I want to win more trophies for England and for Saracens. I want to win in any environment that I'm involved in.'
Future dreams
The hunger for more fuels all their future aspirations. For Slade, a place on a Lions tour remains a burning ambition. 'I got close in 2019, but it's still a dream. Winning a World Cup was the first goal. The Lions is the next one.'
Earl agrees: 'Winning the Six Nations with this young England team would be awesome. And selfishly, making the British and Irish Lions this summer is a big goal of mine.'
Their journeys remind us that dreams evolve, but the pursuit remains the same. Whether it's a childhood dream sparked by watching the 2003 Rugby World Cup, a slow realisation built through years of hard work or an ambition that grew from pure enjoyment, rugby is as much about the grind as it is about the glory. For Earl, Slade and Itoje, the dream continues – one match, one goal, one victory at a time.
Dream big. Win big
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