'Awful competition' - Joe Marler baits fans with cryptic tweet

A cryptic tweet from England prop Joe Marler has left rugby fans once again scratching their collective heads.

Marler is currently sidelined with a "short-term" injury and didn't feature in Harlequins' Champions Cup game with Racing 92 at The Stoop.

It may have been a case of the devil making work for idle hands, with Marler taking to Twitter to cause mischief.

Marler, who is known for toying with his followers on the social media platform with deliberately vague tweets, posted at 4.06 pm: "Awful competition. Lost its magic. A***holes."

Many took him to be taking a snipe at the introduction of South African teams in the Heineken Champions Cup and the Challenge Cup this season. The Bulls, the Stormers, the Cheetahs and the Sharks are taking part in Europe’s elite club competition for the first time. However, given that his tweet came during FIFA World Cup final in Qatar, it was unclear what competition he was referring to.

Marler had been openly critical of South African inclusion in the 'European Cup' previously, delivering an awkward post-match interview with BT Sports recently in which he mocked the idea that Harlequins had to travel to South Africa to compete in Europe.

“You want to talk about Europe and we’re going to Natal Sharks next week,” Marler said. “Which is where?” It was a take that wouldn't have earned him any fans in South Africa.

Marler's humourous antics have made him popular with fans and have earned him a reputation as a joker within the rugby community. While the loosehead's sense of humour has often been on display on social media, where he has been known to post amusing takes on things. In addition to his on-field and online antics, Marler has also been known to engage in humorous banter with reporters and during post-match interviews.