JOE MARLER has announced his retirement from international rugby.
The prop, 34, racked up a whopping 95 caps for England, making his debut back in 2012.
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Marler won three Six Nations titles – in 2016, 2017 and 2020 – and was part of the Red Rose squad that reached the 2019 Rugby World Cup final, losing to South Africa.
But he hit the headlines plenty of times for his misdemeanours and antics – often away from the rugby pitch.
And that included just this week as he sparked a huge row over New Zealand’s famous haka.
Marler labelled the All Blacks’ pre-match traditional Maori dance as “ridiculous” and called for it to be banned.
That prompted a furious backlash on social media, with many calling the Englishman “disrespectful” for his outspoken views.
Marler deactivated his social media account but returned on Wednesday to suggest he was purely trying to drum up added heat and interest ahead of the England vs New Zealand clash at Twickenham on Saturday – as well as “satisfying my narcissism”.
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