Joe Marler shockingly retires from England duty after haka controversy

England prop Joe Marler has surprisingly announced his retirement from international rugby with immediate effect.

In a post on Instagram, the 34-year-old confirmed that he was “saying goodbye to international rugby” after winning 95 England caps since his 2012 debut.

Marler was included in England’s squad for the ongoing Autumn Nations Series but left the group for “personal reasons” earlier this week ahead of Saturday’s clash against New Zealand, which the All Blacks went on to win 24-22 after George Ford’s late missed penalty and drop goal.

“Playing for England always felt like I was living in a dream bubble,” wrote Marler on Instagram. “I kept waiting for it to pop and me to suddenly go back to being a gobby, overweight 16-year-old again.

“But you know when it’s time. I can’t do what I used to do as well as I once could. I can’t keep talking about my family being my priority unless they actually are. I want to keep untarnished all these memories of my career, both good and bad. I don’t want to leave my house with my kids crying. I’m ready to make the change.

“I'm sad to say goodbye to international rugby, but I'm really proud, too. Time to exit one dream bubble, time to enter a new one.”

Marler has been open about his mental health struggles throughout his career and his battle with depression caused him to retire the first time in 2018, although he returned for the 2019 World Cup.

He had already announced his intention to retire from rugby at the end of this season and, although it is not yet confirmed, the expectation is that the front rower will see out his contract with club side Harlequins and then hang up his boots entirely.

England head coach Steve Borthwick paid tribute to the extroverted forward, who has often made as many headlines for his antics off the field as his huge ability on it.

“Joe has been an outstanding servant to English rugby – a tough, uncompromising competitor on the field, and a genuine, one-of-a-kind personality off it,” said Borthwick.

“We’ll miss his humour, sense of fun, and the energy he brought to the squad. We’re grateful for all he’s given to England rugby, and though we won’t see him in an England jersey anymore, he’ll always be part of this team. Thank you, Joe.”

Just this week, Marler found himself embroiled in something of a scandal when he criticised the haka – the Maori war dance performed by the All Blacks before every match – as “ridiculous” and suggested it should be “binned” in a since-deleted social-media post.

A day after his post, the prop briefly deleted his X account before New Zealand head coach Scott Robertson stated Marler could have “articulated himself better” and England captain Jamie George conceded that the comments had “prodded the bear”.

Marler did apologise on Thursday night and expressed his gratitude for the “education” received over what the haka meant to New Zealand culture.

In addition to his 95 England caps, Marler was also part of the 2017 British & Irish Lions squad and appeared in five tour matches down in New Zealand.

He helped England finish as runners-up at the 2019 World Cup, where they memorably demolished the All Blacks in the semi-final before losing to South Africa in the final, and also came third at the 2023 World Cup – again bested by the Springboks. He also played for the Barbarians on multiple occasions.

England have called up rising star Asher Opoku-Fordjour to replace Marler in their squad for the game against Australia next Saturday. Borthwick’s side also take on South Africa and Japan this November.