England prop Joe Marler has announced his retirement from international rugby union at the age of 34 in the wake of his controversial comments about the All Blacks' haka.
Marler - who was not involved in Saturday's 22-24 loss to New Zealand - sparked uproar on social media when he claimed that the "ridiculous" haka "needs binning" before apologising for his remarks.
The 34-year-old is believed to have withdrawn from the England camp prior to Saturday's autumn nations series owing to personal reasons, and he announced on social media on Sunday that he was calling time on his England career for good.
"Playing for England always felt like I was living in a dream bubble. I kept waiting for it to pop and me to suddenly go back to being a gobby, overweight 16-year-old again," Marler posted on X.
"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 it 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.
"The first team-mate I told was Dan Cole. We were sharing a room at the England hotel. I hugged him, he hugged me. The conversation went a bit like this: I love you mate. I love you too. What's up? I'm done, mate. I know you are."
Joe Marler's England career summarised after retirement
🌹 pic.twitter.com/Vzl4CFWhig
— Joe Marler (@JoeMarler) November 3, 2024
Never far from the centre of controversy on account of his outspoken personality and frequent gimmicks, Marler made as many headlines for the right reasons in an England kit and retires with 95 appearances to his name.
Marler's England debut came all the way back in 2012, during England's tour of South Africa, and he was also selected for the British & Irish Lions tour of New Zealand in 2017 but did not feature in a single Test.
The long-serving Harlequins prop has made the ninth-most appearances for the England men's rugby team, and only two other props - Cole (116) and Jason Leonard (114) have earned more international caps.
Marler was a part of three Six Nations-winning England squads in the 2016, 2017 and 2020 tournaments, while also collecting a 2019 World Cup runners-up medal, playing 35 minutes of the final loss to South Africa.
From 95 appearances in an England jersey, Marler was a part of 61 victories, 33 losses and one draw, although he never scored a single point for his nation and only registered one try assist.
A regular for Steve Borthwick during the 2023 World Cup, the 34-year-old made six appearances at the global gathering last year, as England lost to South Africa in the semi-finals.
Ben Knapton
