England captain Maro Itoje has revealed he has been “teased” during his rugby union career for not swearing because of his Christian faith.
Speaking on the For The Love Of Rugby podcast, Itoje was asked whether he makes a conscious effort to mind his language while on the pitch.
He said: “It is a conscious thing, but not so conscious because I never do it.
“It’s mainly for religious reasons. I don’t believe that is the way the Lord wants us to use our mouths.
“With no judgement on other people, I try to refrain from that.”
Nicknamed The Pearl, the 31 year-old has spoken about how he has gone from “lukewarm Christian” to having Jesus at the centre of his life.
“The humility that I have tried to embody throughout my life definitely comes from knowing that everything I have has been a gift, not by my own doing, but by the guy upstairs,” he told BBC Sport last year.
Itoje was speaking as England prepare for the Nations Championship, with the first game against Australia on 8 November.