England prop Joe Marler banned for alleged jibe about Kiwi rugby rival’s hospitalised mother

England loosehead prop Joe Marler will miss the next two English Rugby Premiership Games for an alleged derogatory jibe about the mother of Kiwi backrower Jake Heenan.

Heenan, who plays for the Bristol Bears, was baited by Marler as the Bears hung on to beat Harlequins 15-12 in the English Premiership on Tuesday (Wednesday NZ time).

Marler allegedly made derogatory comments about Heenan’s mother that drew an instant reaction from the Kiwi as a scrum was packing down. It sparked a brawl amongst the forwards.

Marler apologised on Twitter later, but was charged by England’s Rugby Football Union and found guilty of conduct prejudicial to the game.

READ MORE:
* Kiwi star victim of verbal abuse storm in England rugby
* New Year’s Honours: Farah Palmer’s journey from Black Ferns skipper to Dame
* Black Ferns Portia Woodman and Renee Wickliffe tie the knot
* All Blacks exodus: How many players will depart after the 2023 World Cup?

The 32-year-old was banned for six weeks, but The Daily Telegraph reported that four weeks of the ban had been suspended until the end of next season, but may be activated if Marler should commit a similar offence in the meantime.

The Telegraph reported that “while Marler’s comment was not heard at the time by referee Karl Dickson, Heenan could be heard over Dickson’s referee microphone saying: “Karl, my mum is in hospital’.”

RFU disciplinary panel chair Gareth Graham said: “The insulting and offensive comments made by the player were wholly inappropriate. Such comments should form no part of the modern game.”

As part of his punishment, Marler is expected to give a presentation to a local club or school and to a Premiership club academy about rugby’s core values.

Bristol’s Kiwi coach Pat Lam had earlier said he was stunned by the incident.

“I brought Jake over from New Zealand to Connacht and to Bristol. He’s like a son to our family and I have never seen him like that,” Lam, the former Auckland and Blues coach, said after the match.

“It’s best to say one of the areas we are all trying to work on is the spirit of the game. I love Joe Marler, but something was said and there was a reaction from Jake I have never seen before.”

The ban is Marler’s third major brush with rugby authorities.

The Harlequins stalwart was suspended for two games in 2016 and fined £20,000 ($40,000) for a “gypsy boy” jibe at Wales prop Samson Lee in a Six Nations match.

In March 2020, he was banned for 10 weeks for grabbing Wales captain Alun Wyn Jones’ genitals.

Former All Black Tabai Matson, Harlequins’ director of rugby, told The Telegraph that Marler was “really apologetic’’ and “didn’t know the full context of what he said. What he said was wrong.

”He reached out to Jake and Jake replied and accepted his apology and then they had a good chat after that.”

A one-club player, Marler has had 83 test caps for England since 2012 and toured New Zealand in 2017 as a mid-week player with the British and Irish Lions.