England's Dombrandt quit social media over criticism

England No 8 Alex Dombrandt reveals he deleted his Twitter account due to social media criticism after England’s disappointing Six Nations campaign… insisting he has ‘nothing to prove’ at international level

  • Alex Dombrandt explained how he removed himself from social media firing line 
  • The Harlequins No 8 was part of England’s disappointing Six Nations campaign 
  • He was the target of a harsh online backlash – but says he has nothing to prove 

Alex Dombrandt has explained how he opted to remove himself from the social-media firing line after fierce criticism of his and England’s Six Nations campaign.

The Harlequins No 8 started at the base of the scrum for the national team throughout the 2023 championship which finished late last month.

But he was the target of a harsh online backlash as Steve Borthwick’s side slumped to three defeats in their five matches. 

Dombrandt opened up about the difficult period, after Quins were ejected from the Heineken Champions Cup by the Stormers in Cape Town last Saturday.

The 25-year-old was asked about the tough time he went through during the Six Nations and said: ‘Yeah, it’s never nice to lose. I loved playing for my country, it was a huge honour and privilege. It’s a shame about a couple of results but I enjoyed the experience.’ 

England’s Alex Dombrandt has revealed he went off social media after social media criticism

The Harlequins No 8 was part of the team which lost three times during the 2023 Six Nations

But Dombrandt insists he has nothing to prove to those questioning his international ability

When pressed about the mental challenge of dealing with scrutiny, expectation and criticism, he added: ‘I try and ignore it really. 

‘Unfortunately, when things don’t go well for you personally or as a team, there’s always someone who has something to say about it. 

‘I guess you have to take that at the level we play at, surround yourself with good people, ask for advice from the people around you and try to ignore the negativity that doesn’t concern you.’ 

Dombrandt confirmed that he had deleted his Twitter account, saying: ‘I didn’t need it in my life I guess.’ 

He also spoke about the support he received from friends and family, and at his club, adding: ‘We’re lucky at Quins to have guys like Joe Marler, DC (Danny Care) and Andre (Esterhuizen), who are seasoned internationals we can lean on for advice.

‘At the end of the day, it is just a game. We’re very privileged to be in this position and call it a job, so sometimes you’ve got to take a few steps back and realise that.’ 

Despite having to contend with strong views questioning his value at international level, Dombrandt insisted that he won’t be using the comments which have come his way to fire him up. 

‘I don’t feel like I’ve anything to prove,’ he said. ‘I’ll get my head down, work hard, put in good performances for Quins and hopefully in the future for England as well.’

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