Overview

• Joe Marler, recently retired from rugby, has become the performance director for Team England Rugby, focusing on player welfare and workload management.
• Marler is advocating for stricter adherence to the 30-match limit set for elite players, a threshold many are expected to exceed due to club, national, and British & Irish Lions commitments.
• He has already engaged in discussions with club directors, such as Saracens’ Mark McCall, to negotiate rest periods for overworked players like Nick Isiekwe.
• Marler’s role involves representing players in talks with the RFU, Premiership clubs, and other stakeholders, aiming to reduce pressure on players to self-advocate for rest.
• Concerns have been raised about the toll of the upcoming Lions tour, with Marler pushing for adjustments, such as extended rest periods next season, to mitigate player fatigue.