Joe Marler has stirred the pot ahead of England's showdown with New Zealand on Saturday by suggesting the pre-match haka should be scrapped. In a post on the social media platform X, the seasoned prop Marler stated: "The haka needs binning. It's ridiculous." The 34-year-old further commented: "It's only any good when teams actually confront it with some sort of response. Like the league boys did last week." These remarks sparked a predictable backlash from some quarters, leading Marler to subsequently delete his X account.
Marler has not been chosen for the Allianz Stadium encounter, with Ellis Genge and Fin Baxter preferred as looseheads in the matchday 23 announced on Tuesday. However, he is part of the 36-man training squad gearing up for the match. In rugby union, rules dictate that opposing teams must not cross the halfway line while New Zealand performs the Maori war dance. England faced a fine in 2019 for breaching this rule prior to the World Cup semi-final, with Marler crossing the line.
The Rugby Football Union has chosen not to comment on Marler's social media post.
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