Harlequins prop Joe Marler is set to miss the start of the Premiership season after suffering a broken foot during England’s summer tour.
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Marler sustained the injury during England’s 16-15 defeat to New Zealand on 6 July, the first Test in a 2-0 series loss, and was substituted after 17 minutes.
The 34-year-old was spotted in a protective boot on his left foot at Harlequins’ open training session on Wednesday. Head coach Danny Wilson confirmed that Marler will be sidelined until October.
“It’s going to be a 12-14 week injury,” Wilson explained. “It’s not one of those where he can come back early. We’re looking at the full recovery time.”
Quins will kick off their Premiership campaign away to Sale Sharks on 22 September. Meanwhile, England head coach Steve Borthwick is expected to announce his training squad in October, ahead of their autumn opener against the All Blacks on 2 November.
Marler may face a tight deadline to prove his fitness in time.
England set for another easy group in 2027 Rugby World Cup draw
The Rugby World Cup 2027 draw is scheduled to occur in January 2026, providing a unique scenario with a full 18 months of international competition still to unfold prior to the tournament kicking off.
This early draw will utilise the World Rankings as of the conclusion of November 2025 to determine the seeding of participating teams.
During the draw, the 24 participating teams will be divided into six pools, each consisting of four teams. Notably, this draw will transpire before the regional qualifiers have concluded, resulting in a dual-world approach.
On one side, we have the twelve automatic qualifiers from the 2023 Rugby World Cup, confirmed by their names. On the other side, the regional qualifiers will be represented as Africa 1, Europe 1, Europe 2, and so forth.
Rugby World Cup 2027 is set to be hosted in Australia, marking the eleventh edition of the Men’s Rugby World Cup and the third time it will take place in Australia. The country previously co-hosted the inaugural Rugby World Cup with New Zealand in 1987 and served as the sole host in 2003.
With the current World Rankings in mind, let’s delve into how the 2027 Rugby World Cup will shape up via Rugby Centre.
2027 Rugby World Cup draw (Current rankings)
POOL A
- South Africa
- Australia
- Portugal
- Spain
POOL B
- France
- Fiji
- Tonga
- Chile
