Former pillar of the XV de la RoseJoe Marler didn't wait long after his retirement from the sport to bounce back. At 33, the former Harlequins player found a new passion: padelA sporting reconversion as unexpected as it is refreshing, which he carries out with humor, self-mockery... and a certain obsession for the “perfect point”.

From rugby to padel: a revelation during the World Cup

It was during the 2023 World Cup in France that Marler discovered padel, while he was still active with the England team. The training camp in Le Touquet had several courts, and curiosity did the rest. Very quickly, he and several teammates were going there every day after sessions, sometimes to the great despair of the medical staff. “We were supposed to play Argentina on the weekend… but we spent our time playing padel!” he jokes.

Since then, his love of the game has never left him. Barely the retirement announced in November 2024, the English colossus immerses himself in this new sport, with the sole objective: relive the adrenaline of competition.

A quest for the perfect point

“I'm terrible at it, but I love it,” he says frankly. What he's looking for? “That moment when you make a perfect point. The one where you feel good. And you want to relive it again and again.”

There is no question of aiming for a professional career, even if, he says, “like everyone else, I believed it was possible by watching videos on social media… until I saw the pros play in real life.” He also acknowledges that the duels between professional players are on a completely different level: “Louie Harris, Alfonso Patacho… it’s another planet.”

Joe Marler: from rugby to TV... via the padel courts

From the Pro Am Tour to TV

Marler now participates in the Pro-Am Padel Tour, a series of competitions that bring together celebrities and professional players. At Beckton, he teamed up with Gabby Agbonlahor, former Aston Villa striker, to face other figures like Jason Manford or the British number 1 Aimee Gibson.

It was Manford who won the first stage of 2025, winning a £10 charity prize for the Captain's Fund. "Joe is impressive, especially for a guy like him. He's got a nice hand," admitted the comedian, not without gently teasing his rival.

Padel as an outlet

Today, Marler regularly plays Eastbourne, with his friends or strangers met through “box leagues”. If he sometimes tries to import some rugby reflexes onto the track, It is above all the spirit of camaraderie and the conviviality that motivates him. He also admits that “beating his children at Uno is no longer enough to satisfy his need for competition!”

For him, Padel also has a therapeutic role. Committed to the CALM foundation, which fights for mental health, Marler sees this sport as a real lever for well-being: “It replaces the rugby locker room. You move, you laugh, you interact… It feels so good.”

And soon in… “The Traitors”

But the Englishman isn't limited to the padel court. Since his retirement, he's been busy with a variety of projects. He recently joined the cast of the celebrity version of the show “The Traitors” on the BBC, alongside Stephen Fry, Alan Carr, Tom Daley or, Jonathan rossA program that once again allows him to mix gamesmanship, derision and strategy.

Source: LTAPADEL / The Joe Marler Appreciation Society 

Franck Binisti

Franck Binisti discovered padel at the Club des Pyramides in 2009 in the Paris region. Since then, padel has been part of his life. You often see him touring France to cover major French padel events.

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