When Joe Marler held court by the swimming pool at England’s hotel outside Durban before his Test debut in 2012, it quickly became apparent that he would make rugby more fun.
Now, the show is about to end, for the one-club man who has given 15 years of sterling service to Harlequins, adding colour, chaos and occasional controversy along the way.
As the club’s head coach, Danny Wilson, said ahead of the 34-year-old prop and Mail Sport columnist’s last dance on Friday night against Bristol: ‘He’s one of rugby’s big characters and will be missed.’
Quite right he will. In a game which seeks to mass-produce conformists, Marler has shattered the mould. He is irreplaceable.
Few modern players establish a profile outside the traditional hotbeds of rugby fandom, but Marler has done so emphatically.
The public have been entertained by his wacky nature and refusal to take himself too seriously. Even Wednesday’s farewell posts on social media were laden with typical self-deprecation.
Joe Marler announced his retirement from rugby on Wednesday – and he will be sorely missed
In a game which seeks to mass-produce conformists, Marler’s fun persona shattered the mould
Even his farewell posts on social media on Wednesday were laden with typical self-deprecation
Venture on to YouTube and it soon becomes apparent that the mighty Quin has made a name for himself. One compilation of Marler’s on-field and off-field highlights has been viewed a staggering 2.2million times.
Where to start? Well, the haircuts perhaps. There have been mohicans, red and orange stripes, words shaved all around his head. There have been all manner of outlandish sartorial statements too, including camouflage fatigues and a silver shell suit.
Mail Sport’s rugby correspondent Chris Foy
Bristol should be on alert tomorrow because it is highly unlikely that Marler will go quietly. It is not his style.
He is full of chat during matches, from the time he shouted, ‘You’re f****** boring me, hurry up’ at Exeter players as they formed a caterpillar ruck, to when he asked referee Andrew Small: ‘Are you wearing those (white) boots for a bet?’
The wind-ups have been relentless. Marler ended up in a scrap with James Haskell after squirting water at him during a break in a Quins-Wasps game, and he sat on an opponent who was leaning over a ruck until ordered to climb down.
He also put off a rival kicker during one match against Sale by wiggling his backside towards him before a shot at goal.
Over the years, many of his interviews went down in folklore, not least the time, before a comeback, that he spoke about ‘getting back on the horse’ and ended up doing an impression of the imaginary creature which, inexplicably, had an Irish accent.
Then there was his appearance on the Jonathan Ross Show, after the 2019 World Cup, when Marler brought the house down by singing solo in front of a host of celebrity guests, including a bewildered Nicole Scherzinger.
Rocking up on his bike, Marler arrived at Harlequins training in distinctive style back in May
The 34-year-old prop will bow out for Harlequins with his last dance against Bristol on Friday
Marler will continue to write his unmissable columns on Mail+ during the Six Nations next year
His career featured fights and cards and various run-ins with the authorities, not least when Marler was banned for two incendiary incidents in clashes with Wales — calling Samson Lee ‘gypsy boy’ and grabbing an outraged Alun Wyn Jones on his groin.
Marler will also be remembered as a superb player — a renowned scrummager who played a key part in Six Nations titles with England and Premiership titles with Quins.
But his primary impact has been to illuminate rugby with his innate fun streak. When Marler departs on Friday night, he should sign off with the famous words of Russell Crowe’s character, Maximus Decimus Meridius, in Gladiator: ‘Are you not entertained?’
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