Joe Marler asks hilarious question to referee during last-ever match before retiring from rugby
Joe Marler marked his last ever professional rugby appearance with a humorous question to the referee mid-match for Harlequins.
The 34-year-old prop announced his shock retirement on Wednesday after calling time on his career with England for 'personal reasons'.
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Marler, who earned 95 caps for the Red Roses, bowed out on Friday night as Harlequins lost 24-48 at home to Bristol Bears.
With Harlequins leading towards the end of the first half, he had a quick 🍃question to ask during his last Gallagher Premiership clash.
"Question, if someone scores [a try] and they take their shirt off, is it a yellow 🤪card?" he said to referee Luke P♍earce.
With the occasion seemingly in his mind, Pearce ꦺjokingly replied: "Not tonight for you, no."
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Marler was subst♉ituted with 49 minutes on the clock and therefore took his final steps on a rugby pitch a🍌s he made his way off.
The crowd 𓆉at Twickenham Stoop gave him a deserved send-off as they offered a standing ovation before he h🐈eaded down the tunnel.
When asked by TNT Sports afterwards about why he decided to retire, : "There's loads of reasons.
"I couldn't do it anymore, physically, mentally, emotionally. After the England announcement, this was inevitable, really.
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"I'd much rather go out now rather than trying to flog a dead horse for the next six months."
He then joked: "I actually went out last week! I quit last week and they said, 'Can you come back for one more game? Because Fin [Baxter] needs a rest."
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"I went, 'Yeah, I'll come back and say goodbye to the fans and that lot.' But that's what it's come to."
Harlequins' latest outing was Marler's 286th and final appearance for the club, with whom he won two Premiership titles in 2012 and 2021.
At international level, he won the Six Nations three times 🐻with England and was part of their ꦜ2019 World Cup runners-up squad.
Marler is yet to reveal his next steps, but he could certainly make his way back to the talkSPORT studio having recently caused rapturous laughter from Ally McCoist.
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