Joe Marler has issued an apology following the furore that surrounded his controversial comments about the Haka ahead of England’s clash with New Zealand this weekend.
The Harlequins prop made headlines before the All Blacks’ visit to Twickenham on Saturday to kick off the 2024 Autumn Nations Series by posting on social media of their iconic pre-match tradition: “The haka needs binning. It's ridiculous.
"It's only any good when teams actually front it with some sort of reply. Like the league boys did last week."
Such comments were met by a quick and strong backlash, with Marler appearing to initially deactivate his account on X - formerly Twitter - before later reinstating it to write: “Context is everything. Just having a bit of fun trying to spark interest in a mega rugby fixture. Some wild responses. Big Love x.”
The Haka needs binning. It’s ridiculous.
— Joe Marler (@JoeMarler) October 29, 2024
He added: “Also needed to satisfy my narcissism.”
All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson suggested on Thursday that Marler could have “articulated himself a little bit better” and stressed the enduring importance of the Haka to New Zealand culturally, while admitting that his players were aware of Marler’s comments and would “discuss it and decide how to deal with it respectfully”.
England captain Jamie George, meanwhile, said he feared that Marler had “prodded the bear” ahead of Saturday’s huge showdown in south-west London.
Marler has now returned to X again to deliver an apology, writing on Thursday night along with the meme of Homer Simpson retreating into a bush: "Hey rugby fans. Just wanted to jump on here and say sorry to any New Zealand fans I upset with my poorly articulated tweet earlier in the week.
"I meant no malice in asking for it to be binned, just want to see the restrictions lifted to allow for a response without sanction.
Hey rugby fans. Just wanted to jump on here and say sorry to any New Zealand fans I upset with my poorly articulated tweet earlier in the week. I meant no malice in asking for it to be binned, just want to see the restrictions lifted to allow for a response without sanction. 1/3 pic.twitter.com/Nbft2DIyhf
— Joe Marler (@JoeMarler) October 31, 2024
"How good were the Cockerill/Hewitt, Campese, France '07, Tokyo '19 or Samoa vs England rugby league responses? Create some entertaining drama before kick off. My flippant attempt at sparking a debate around it was s***house and I should have done better at explaining things.
"I'm grateful for the education received on how important the Haka is to the New Zealand culture and hope others have a better understanding too.
"Now roll on 3pm on Saturday for a mega rugby occasion. England by 6pts. I'll get back in my attention-seeking box now. Big Love x."
