Joe Marler has been removed from the England squad after stating that the All Blacks’ famed Haka should be ‘binned’ — although his absence is unrelated to the statements that have sparked outrage in New Zealand.
The 34-year-old Harlequins prop departed the national team’s training base on Monday for personal reasons, and his chances of returning during the next Autumn Nations Series are in doubt. At this point, England’s head coach Steve Borthwick has not called up another loosehead.
Marler’s retirement came when a firestorm erupted over his Haka-related posts on X, formerly Twitter.
On Tuesday night, having already returned home, he wrote: “The Haka needs binning.” It’s ridiculous.
Shortly after, he added, ‘It’s only good when teams truly respond.’
According to World Rugby rules, teams facing a pre-match ‘cultural challenge’ are not allowed to go beyond their half. In 2019, before their World Cup semi-final victory over the All Blacks, England stood in an arrow formation, and Marler crossed the halfway line to eyeball the Kiwis, resulting in a £2,000 fine.
Marler shut down his X account on Tuesday after receiving a flood of hostile messages in response to his posts, but restored it Wednesday, writing, “Context is everything.” Just having some fun while trying to pique interest in a major fixture. Some outrageous replies. ‘Big love.’ England has not ordered him to delete any posts, and he will suffer no repercussions.
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