Joe Marler: England prop issues apology after haka comments cause backlash ahead of New Zealand Test

England prop Joe Marler has issued a social media apology after being criticised for his ‘anti-haka’ comments ahead of Saturday’s clash with New Zealand at the Allianz Stadium.

Marler will not face the All Blacks in the autumn opener after leaving camp on Monday morning for personal reasons and it is doubtful if he will play a part in any of the remaining fixtures against Australia, South Africa and Japan.

The 34-year-old said via his X account on Tuesday that the “ridiculous” haka “needs binning”, with his statement about the Maori war dance heavily scrutinised and leaving England captain Jamie George fearing his comments may provoke New Zealand.

All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson responded on Thursday by calling the haka a “great tradition of rugby”, adding that the Harlequin should have chosen his words more carefully, with Marler using social media on Thursday evening to apologise to anyone he may have offended.

In an apology spread across three messages on his X social media account, Marler said: “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.

“How good were the Cockerill/Hewitt [Richard Cockerill and Norm Hewitt], Campese [Australian David 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 [to win] by six points. I’ll get back in my attention seeking box now. Big Love x.”

Have Marler’s comments motivated New Zealand?

George believes Marler has “prodded the bear” with his comments and does not share the views of his team-mate, although fears they may have provided the 2023 World Cup runners-up with extra motivation.

“The haka was always something I enjoyed watching growing up as a big rugby fan and I’ve been lucky enough to face it a few times,” George said. “I love the history of it. Joe and I, we don’t always agree on everything, so we disagree on this certain topic. It’s classic Joe if I’m honest.

“He’s always been a little bit close to the line with certain social media posts so nothing comes as a surprise with him. We’ve chatted a little bit this week and I just said, ‘cheers mate, thanks very much!’.

“It’s a conversation that Joe and I actually had the week before – thoughts on the haka, what can we do back to it, all that kind of thing. I guess he’s prodded the bear a little bit.”

A follow-up post from Marler on Wednesday included an emoji indicating he had been ‘fishing’ for a response, but All Blacks head coach Robertson was left unimpressed by his comments.

“I wonder if he wished he could have articulated himself a little bit better on that,” Robertson said at New Zealand’s team announcement press conference. “The haka for us is a custom. It’s a part of who we are. It’s our DNA. We believe it’s a great tradition of rugby.

“The crowd enjoy it and they know it’s a special occasion because how often do we come up here? All Pacific Nations do it beforehand to honour where they come from. It’s not just about the All Blacks, it’s about us as a country so it means a lot to us.”

Sky Sports+ has officially launched and will be integrated into Sky TV, streaming service NOW and the Sky Sports app, giving Sky Sports customers access to over 50 per cent more live sport this year at no extra cost. Find out more here.