‘Just not rugby’- Joe Marler enrages Springbok with more controversial exploits
It looks as though England and Harlequins loosehead prop Joe Marler got away with one at the weekend against the Stormers in the Heineken Champions Cup.
The 32-year-old has a fairly colourful track record to say the least, and was up to one of his old tricks against at the Cape Town Stadium as his side lost 32-28 in the round of 16 stage. Without being too descriptive, think Alun Wyn Jones.
The incident was shared by former Springboks assistant coach Swys de Bruin on Facebook, who uploaded a video of his punditry on SuperSport. There he highlighted some of Marler’s dark arts, which ranged from holding onto his opposing tighthead and hooker after a scrum, to holding onto the private parts of Springboks flanker/hooker Deon Fourie in a ruck.
This incensed Fourie, who immediately confronted Marler before getting some treatment. The Englishman got away with it in the match, and has escaped further punishment as well.
Take a look at the incident:
During the 2020 Six Nations match between England and Wales, an incident occurred between Marler and Wales’ Jones. Marler was seen to grab Jones’ genitals during a maul, which was caught on camera and widely shared on social media.
The incident sparked controversy and led to disciplinary action against Marler, who was charged with a breach of World Rugby regulation 9.27, which relates to “grabbing, twisting or squeezing the genitals”. Marler accepted the charge and received a 10-week ban, ruling him out of the remainder of the Six Nations.
The incident also sparked debate around the culture of rugby and the use of banter on the field. Many argued that Marler’s actions were unacceptable and crossed a line, while others defended it as harmless banter. Overall, the incident highlighted the need for greater awareness and education around issues of consent and respect in sport.
