England rugby star Joe Marler has blasted New Zealand’s Māori dance, the Haka, and has called for the All Blacks tradition to be ‘binned’.
New Zealand face England at Twickenham on Saturday in an Autumn Nations Series clash and Marler has faced widespread criticism for ‘ill-judged’ comments.
Marler appeared to delete his social media account on X amid the backlash before making a swift return to insist that he was only trying to have ‘fun’.
‘Context is everything,’ the 34-year-old England prop posted, who has helped his country win three Six Nations titles and plays his club rugby for Harlequins.
‘Just having a bit of fun trying to spark interest in a mega rugby fixture. Some wild responses. Big Love… Also needed to satisfy my narcissism.’
Marler had previously posted: ‘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.’
The New Zealand rugby haka was first performed by The Natives, their first representative team, during a 1888-89 tour of Britain and Australia.
It is traditionally performed by the All Blacks team prior to each international rugby game.
Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira CEO Helmut Modlik has slammed Marler for his remarks about the Haka.
‘For those who don’t know about the haka, who might speak ill of those cultural icons, it would be coming from a place of ignorance and would be ill-judged,’ Modlik told Stuff.
‘Remember, while it is part of a sporting spectacle, the haka is a cultural taonga, treasure, gifted to NZRU to perform respectfully, which they do now.’
It isn’t the first time Marler has disrespected the All Blacks. In 2019, he crossed the halfway line when New Zealand were performing the dance, which players are forbidden from doing.
Marler’s behaviour saw England hit with a £2,000 fine for breaching Rugby World Cup tournament rules ‘relating to cultural challenges’.