Rugby Australia yesterday concluded their Code of Conduct hearing over Israel Folau’s homophobic social media posts. The ruling found that Folau had committed a high-level breach of the Professional Players' Code of Conduct with his posts on April 10.
The ruling now leaves RA in a position to terminate the 30-year-old Wallaby and Waratah fullback’s contract, believed to be worth $4 million AUD. It comes after RA last week offered Folau $1 million to settle the matter and walk away, which he refused. The latest ruling could possibly mean he will now receive nothing at all.
Folau’s posts, in which he claimed that ‘drunks, homosexuals, adulterers, liars, fornicators, thieves, atheists and idolators’ were destined for hell, came almost exactly a year after he posted a similar response to a question posed in an Instagram thread regarding homosexuality specifically. This, in turn, was after a tweet saying that he would not support same-sex marriage in late 2017.
RA came in for a serious degree of criticism for their seemingly soft-handed approach to the matter the first time around, so it came as no real surprise that after Folau’s latest controversy, CEO Raelene Castle moved quickly to attempt to terminate the contract. The case has divided the public, with many feeling as though Folau is being persecuted for simply stating his religious beliefs. Since the posts were made, Folau has been stood down from the Waratahs side, and Wallaby coach Michael Cheika has stated that the fullback will no longer be considered for selection for the Wallabies regardless of the employment ruling.
Whatever happens, it will be a bitter blow for the game in Australia, which is now a long way behind rugby league and Australian Rules football in the battle for public attention. Crowds for Super Rugby in Australia so far this season have been poor, and on-field results haven’t been much cause for excitement for Wallaby fans with the World Cup looming. Whatever the opinion on Folau and his views, the controversy's damage is likely to take a long time to repair.
Read more:
