Former rugby player Israel Folau has released a video pleading for help in his fight to appeal his sacking by Rugby Australia.
In the clip, which was posted to YouTube last night, Folau read a prepared statement outlining his upcoming legal battle and the costs it will incur. He implored people to go to a GoFundMe page set up to accept donations.
“As Australians, we’re born with the right to freedom of religion, and the right to freedom of expression. The Christian faith has always been a part of my life, and I believe it is my duty as a Christian to share God’s work. Rugby Australia tore up my contract for doing just that, and that’s wrong.” he said.
An image of Folau and his wife, current Silver Fern Maria Folau, appears in the clip as Folau details that the legal battle has cost them ‘over $100,000 in legal fees’.
The clip ends with the 30-year-old stating that “I’m not just fighting for my future and my family, but fighting for what’s right. But I can’t do it alone.”
The cross-code star has had a 13-year career in professional sports, starting with the Melbourne Storm in 2007. He represented Queensland and Australia before switching to play for the Greater Western Sydney Giants in the AFL. Following that stint he switched to rugby union, where he has been a mainstay in the Wallabies since 2013, playing 62 tests.
His deal with Rugby Australia was worth AUD $4 million over four years, and it is believed that the Folaus have a multi-million dollar property portfolio.
Folau’s contract was terminated last month after he made an Instagram post saying the homosexuals (among a long list of other ‘sinners’) were ‘destined for hell’. It was the second time in a year that he had been reprimanded for making such statements on social media, and a disciplinary process by Rugby Australia found him to be in serious breach of his employment agreement. The public appeal comes two days after his latest public statement on the matter, in which he targeted transgender children and said gender fluidity was 'the work of the devil'.
