Former England prop Joe Marler has opened up about his rugby career, admitting he 'winged it for 17 years' and continues to do so in retirement. In an interview with No Helmets Required, Marler discussed his approach to the game, his concern for modern players, and his recent stint on The Celebrity Traitors.
Winging It Through Rugby
Marler, who earned 95 caps for England, confessed that he lacked planning throughout his career. 'I would say my post-rugby experiences have followed my rugby experiences in the sense that I winged it for 17 years and continue to wing it now,' he said. 'There’s a distinct lack of planning on my behalf. I’m just very fortunate that I’ve got some lovely people around me who are far more intelligent and attentive to detail, and navigate me in the right ways.'
Despite being a world-class prop, Marler downplayed his abilities. 'I was half-decent at what I did, but I was world-class at making other people bad at it,' he explained. 'It was a combination of being too lazy to get any better and knowing my limit. A proper player, like Owen Farrell, loved the sport, did everything and it became his life. I was more interested in having fun and enjoying myself.'
Advice for Modern Players
As performance director for Team England Rugby, Marler now advises players on post-rugby careers and mental health. 'I just wish I’d had some perspective earlier on in my England career. I wouldn’t have wasted energy worrying about unnecessary things that I couldn’t control, that led to me not enjoying environments as much as I should,' he said. 'When you’re in it, the rugby world feels like the biggest thing in the world and all eyes are on you. Then when you’re out of it, you realise 70% of the country don’t even know what rugby is!'
Marler expressed sympathy for the current generation of players, who face a grueling schedule. 'I feel really sorry for the new generation,' he said. 'In some of my seasons, I’d be playing 33-35 games, a long slog, and then at the end I’d have a tour.' He criticized the new Nations Championship, which requires England to play three games in three continents. 'This team has to fly to South Africa, play a Test match at altitude, come home, spend the week in Liverpool and play Fiji at Everton, then fly over to Argentina. What?! All the best with that!'
Celebrity Traitors Experience
Marler also reflected on his appearance on The Celebrity Traitors, where he nearly won. 'I had an advantage in that most of them didn’t know who I was, so they semi-forgot I was there,' he said. 'A hybrid of being dumb and being able to play dumber than I am got me as far as it did – plus my competitive nature.' He recalled a fascinating conversation between Cat Burns and Stephen Fry about LGBTQ slang, including terms like 'dom femme' and 'pillow princesses.' Marler joked, 'I’m fully aware of how much of a bear I am.'
Men's Mental Health and Public Life
Marler is also involved in Jacamo's 'Get the nod' campaign, encouraging men to compliment each other. 'It’s important,' he said. 'Blokes wonder what’s coming next. But it makes them feel good about themselves, so why don’t we do it more?'
However, he admitted that fame can be challenging, especially when with his children. 'At Camp Bestival my eldest daughter, Maggie, turned to me on the second day and just quietly, said: ‘Do you think today, maybe we could just have you, rather than you stopping every five minutes, say yes to a photo.’ She was right. I’d got caught up in it all and forgotten she’s there behind me.'
