The former England prop has opened up about his new life after retiring from rugby last year
Former England international Joe Marler has opened up about life after rugby, admitting that he is “constantly s****ing himself” about the future despite finding happiness in a new sport and landing a top TV role.
The 34-year-old won 95 caps for England and played 286 times for Harlequins over the course of his career, winning two Premiership titles and a European Challenge Cup. He also toured with the British & Irish Lions in 2017 and reached the Rugby World Cup final with England in 2019, before announcing his retirement from the sport in November last year.
At the time, Marler said it was “time to finally jump off the rollercoaster and walk away from this beautifully brutal game,” adding that “after all these happy years, it’s over”. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby.
Seven months on, the famously outspoken, often controversial former prop – who was appointed as performance director for Team England Rugby earlier this year – is enjoying retirement, but admits it has been “tricky” to establish a new identity away from playing the game.
“I’m still trying to work out what life outside of rugby looks like,” he told MailOnline. “I considered going out to Australia and doing some corporate stuff but it’s my first summer off and the kids are buzzing.
“It’s the first time we’ve been able to book a holiday that’s not last minute and I’m really enjoying that side of it.”
However, he added: “There is stuff at the back of my head that I have to suppress quite a lot, where I’m constantly s****ing myself about what the next 40 years look like.”
After announcing his retirement in the autumn, Marler admitted he would be keen to give reality TV a try, with ITV’s I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! of particular appeal.
However, he has since signed up to another hit show, as he was recently confirmed to have joined the cast of the BBC’s first ever series of Celebrity Traitors, which is due to air later this year.
He will be joined on the show by the likes of Stephen Fry, Clare Balding, Charlotte Church and Alan Carr, as well as fellow sportsperson Tom Daley, with BBC bosses reportedly “loving” the former England loosehead when they interviewed him.
“I’m going away for a few weeks to Scotland,” said Marler. “Let’s call it a work trip. I suspect I’ll get on there and no one will have a clue who I am.
“They’ll be like, ‘Are you here to fit the mics?’,” he added. “I’m a big fan of the show. I’m really excited to meet the national treasure that is Stephen Fry.”
While he was known for getting under his opponents’ skin with his dark arts on the field, however, Marler isn’t sure how he will fare on the show, describing it as a “whole different ball game”.
Aside from his new TV role, Marler has also discovered a new favourite sport in recent years, recently taking part in the Cupra Pro Am Padel Tour 2025.
Having first played padel during the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France, he has since become an ambassador for Nox Padel and was a captain on the Pro Am Tour, competing against a team led by comedian Jason Manford.
“I started playing padel at the World Cup in 2023 and fell in love with it,” he said. “I retired and posted something on social media about padel and next thing, Nox, a padel brand, asked me to become a brand ambassador.
“I told them, “You do know I’m crap?” but next thing I’m being sent to Barcelona to get schooled by these 16-year-olds.
“It gives me a bit of competition to keep going, now I don’t have rugby,” he added. “It’s also about meeting people who say, “Have you thought about this as a career?”’
