Joe Marler facts for kids
Marler representing Harlequins during the Aviva Premiership
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| Full name | Joseph William George Marler | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 7 July 1990 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Eastbourne, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 120 kg (265 lb; 18 st 13 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Heathfield Community College | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Joseph William George Marler (born 7 July 1990) is an English former rugby union player. He was known for playing as a prop for the Premiership Rugby club Harlequins. He also played for the England national team until he retired in November 2024.
Contents
Early Life and Rugby Start
Joe Marler went to Maynards Green Primary School and Heathfield Community College. He started playing rugby at age 11 for the Eastbourne Sharks. He played for Sussex teams from Under 14 to Under 18. In 2006, he also played for the London & South East team.
Marler began his club career at Haywards Heath RFC in Sussex. He played alongside Billy Twelvetrees, who also became an England international player.
Club Career Highlights
Joe Marler joined the Harlequins Academy in 2008. He made his first team debut in the 2009-2010 season. Before that, he spent some time playing on loan for Esher and Worthing. Marler felt that playing in these lower leagues helped him learn important skills for a prop player. He especially learned a lot about scrummaging from a coach named Bobby Walsh. This experience even allowed him to play in different prop positions sometimes.
Winning Trophies with Harlequins
In May 2011, Marler was part of the Harlequins team that won the EPCR Challenge Cup. They beat Stade Français in the final. The next season, Marler helped Harlequins win their first ever League title. He started in the 2011–12 Premiership final, where they beat Leicester Tigers.
In January 2016, Marler signed a new contract to stay with Harlequins. Later that year, he played in another EPCR Challenge Cup final, but Harlequins lost to Montpellier.
On 26 June 2021, Marler won his second league title with Harlequins. They beat Exeter Chiefs 40-38 in the highest-scoring Premiership final ever.
Captaincy and Retirement from Club Rugby
Marler was the captain for Harlequins during the 2014-2015 season. He took over from Chris Robshaw, who was busy as the England captain for the 2015 Rugby World Cup. The next season, Marler passed the captaincy to his teammate Danny Care.
Joe Marler announced he was retiring from club rugby on 27 November 2024. His last game for Harlequins was at The Stoop against Bristol Bears. During this game, he famously asked the referee if he would get a yellow card for taking off his shirt! He was replaced by Fin Baxter in the second half.
International Career
Playing for England
In 2008, Joe Marler was the captain for England's Under 18 team. He played for England U20 in the 2009 Six Nations Under 20s Championship. He was also part of the squad that finished second to New Zealand at the 2009 IRB Junior World Championship. The next year, he scored two tries against Wales in the 2010 Six Nations Under 20s Championship.
Marler made his senior debut for England on 9 June 2012. This was during a tour of South Africa. He then became a regular player for the England squad. Coach Stuart Lancaster picked Marler for the 2015 Rugby World Cup. Marler started in the pool stage games, but England did not make it to the knockout rounds.
New head coach Eddie Jones included Marler in his squad for the 2016 Six Nations Championship. England won their first Grand Slam in over ten years that year. In 2017, Marler had the honor of leading the team onto the field for his 50th game against Scotland.
In September 2018, Marler said he was retiring from international rugby. However, he changed his mind and rejoined the England squad for the 2019 Rugby World Cup. He came off the bench in the semi-final win against New Zealand. He also played in the final, where England lost to South Africa and finished as runners-up.
In December 2020, Marler helped England win the Autumn Nations Cup final against France.
In September 2023, Marler played in his third Rugby World Cup with England. He played in all the group matches, the quarter-final win against Fiji, and the semi-final loss to South Africa.
In October 2024, Marler caused some discussion after saying the Haka (a traditional Māori challenge) should be "binned." He later apologized for his words, explaining that he "meant no malice" and just wanted to see players allowed to respond to it without rules.
He announced his final retirement from the England team on 3 November 2024.
British & Irish Lions Tour
On 19 April 2017, Marler was chosen to be one of 41 players for the British & Irish Lions tour to New Zealand. He played in five tour games but did not play in the main Test matches against New Zealand.
Playing for the Barbarians
Marler was invited to play for the Barbarians squad in 2019. He played one game against England on 2 June. He was invited again in 2022. The Barbarians team was coached by famous rugby coaches Scott Robertson and Ronan O'Gara.
Other Activities
In 2020, Joe Marler wrote a book about his life called Loose Head, Confessions of an (un)professional rugby player.
He also hosts a podcast called "Joe Marler's Things People Do."
Marler has appeared on the BBC One game show The Wheel as a celebrity guest in November 2021 and for a Christmas special in 2023.
Personal Life
Joe Marler is married to Daisy Marler. They have four children: Pixie, Maggie, Felix, and Jasper.
Marler has openly shared that he sometimes struggles with his mental health. This was the topic of a 2021 Sky Sports documentary called Big Boys Don't Cry. The documentary was shown during Mental Health Awareness Week to help raise awareness.
Honours and Achievements
- 3× Six Nations Championship: 2016, 2017, 2020
- 1× Autumn Nations Cup: 2020
- 1× Rugby World Cup runner-up: 2019
- 2× Premiership Rugby: 2012, 2021
- 1× EPCR Challenge Cup: 2011
- 1× EPCR Challenge Cup runner-up: 2016
See also
In Spanish: Joe Marler para niños
