England lock Maro Itoje claims he would like to play a Check match in Samoa and has urged World Rugby to slim the hole between first and second tier nations.

Itoje has solely performed towards Samoa as soon as, at Twickenham in 2017, and England haven’t been on tour to the Pacific Islands.

The Nations Championship can be launched in 2026, probably locking out the likes of Samoa and Chile from an annual competitors dominated by the elite nations.

It could possibly be a pivotal second for the way forward for rugby and Itoje believes discovering the best structural steadiness is essential.

‘I’d love for us to have a dialog the place there’s no such factor as tier two, or the place tier two begins from international locations ranked 20 and beneath,’ mentioned Itoje.

Maro Itoje has known as for World Rugby to slim hole between first and second tier nations

The England lock instructed it could possibly be ‘sensible’ for the sport if tiers have been eliminated completely

‘That may be an excellent evolution of the sport. I used to be chatting with a number of the Chileans after the final sport, and so they have been saying that after they got here right here it was one of many first instances that they had performed on comfortable grass.

‘They mentioned it was good to do contact in France as a result of the grass was comfortable and it was inexperienced. Again in Chile it’s all robust and all laborious.

‘So all these items are structural points that if we are able to get on prime of, it might be sensible to see extra nations like Chile attain the extent of Argentina or past, or Portugal attain the extent of groups within the Six Nations.’

He added: ‘We’ve seen the overall stage of play of supposed tier two nations undergo the roof on this World Cup. We’re beginning to see the strains blur between tier one and tier two, which is sensible.

‘I suppose the worldwide problem is how they are often throughout non-Rugby World Cup instances.

‘It’s a problem for World Rugby to ensure they’ve the help that they will try this on a constant foundation, all through the years and in between these World Cup campaigns.’

England have a free hit towards Samoa subsequent week, having already booked their place within the quarter-finals with a match to spare.

It could possibly be the primary time that centre Manu Tuilagi performs towards his ancestral nation, forward of a possible quarter-final towards Fiji in Marseille.

Itoje mentioned that Chile gamers informed him that they had by no means performed on comfortable grass earlier than the World Cup

England face Samoa of their closing pool sport having already certified for the quarter finals

Requested if he would help a tour to the Pacific Islands, Itoje mentioned: ‘Yeah, why not, if we are able to do it. On a egocentric perspective, rugby has given me the chance to go all around the globe, to locations I most likely wouldn’t have gone to in any other case. If that’s doable then down the road, why not, that will be superb.’

For Itoje, subsequent week’s closing pool sport in Lyon can be an opportunity for him to lock horns together with his Saracens team-mate Theo MacFarland.

A former worldwide basketballer, MacFarland was the Premiership’s standout participant in 2022 earlier than being sidelined with a long-term damage.

‘Theo has nice athletic items,’ mentioned Itoje. ‘He used to play basketball, so the way in which he palms the ball, the way in which he controls the ball, he has nice capability.

‘However the advantage of Theo is that he has a very good mindset as nicely. It’s not simply, “Oh yeah, I’m athletic, I’m gifted, let’s see what occurs”, he needs to enhance, he needs to get higher, he needs to flourish.

‘I bear in mind seeing him when he first got here to Saracens and from there to the place he was when he obtained injured, it’s not even evening and day, it’s Pluto and Earth.

‘I’ve performed with and towards a whole lot of Samoans within the Premiership. They’re a combative facet, they’re extremely bodily, they play the sport with a whole lot of ardour.’