Israel Folau
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Israel ‘Isileli Folau (; born 3 April 1989) is a professional dual-code rugby player who plays as a fullback for Japan Rugby League One club Urayasu D-Rocks. Born in Australia, he represents
Tonga Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga, is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania. The country has 171 islands, of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in the southern Pacific Ocean. accordin ...
at international level after qualifying on ancestry grounds. Folau began his professional career playing rugby league. Representing the
Melbourne Storm The Melbourne Storm is a rugby league football club based in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia that participates in the National Rugby League (NRL). The club plays its home games at AAMI Park, and wears a purple and navy blu ...
in the
National Rugby League The National Rugby League (also known as the NRL Telstra Premiership for sponsorship reasons) is a professional rugby league competition in Oceania which contains clubs from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria (state), Victoria, the Austral ...
(NRL) from 2007 to 2008, where he broke the record for most tries in a debut year. He then played with the
Brisbane Broncos The Brisbane Broncos are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Red Hill, a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland. Founded in April 1987, the Broncos compete in the National Rugby League (NRL) and play their home games at ...
from 2009 to 2010. Playing as a or , Folau represented
Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...
in the State of Origin and
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
, becoming the youngest player to play for both teams. In 2020, Folau played for the French rugby league team the
Catalans Dragons The Catalans Dragons (French language, French: ''Dragons Catalans'', Catalan language, Catalan: ''Dracs Catalans'') are a professional rugby league club from Perpignan, Pyrénées-Orientales department, France. Despite being based in France the ...
in the
Super League Super League (also known as the Betfred Super League for sponsorship reasons, and legally Super League Europe Ltd.) is a professional rugby league competition, and the highest level of the British rugby league system, which consists of twelve t ...
. In 2011, Folau joined the
Greater Western Sydney Giants The Greater Western Sydney Giants (officially the Greater Western Sydney Football Club and colloquially known as the GWS Giants or simply GWS or Giants) are a professional Australian rules football club based in Sydney Olympic Park which repres ...
in the
Australian Football League The Australian Football League (AFL) is the pre-eminent professional sports, professional competition of Australian rules football. It was originally named the Victorian Football League (VFL) and was founded in 1896 as a breakaway competition ...
(AFL) and played for two seasons. In December 2012, Folau announced he was to switch codes again, this time for rugby union, and signed a one-year contract with the Waratahs. He would later become the record holder for the most tries scored in
Super Rugby Super Rugby is a men's professional rugby union club competition involving teams from Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands. It has previously included teams from Argentina, Japan, and South Africa. Super Rugby started as the S ...
history post the 2019 season. At international level, he made his debut for Australia in 2013 against the
British & Irish Lions The British & Irish Lions is a rugby union team selected from players eligible for the national teams of England national rugby union team, England, Ireland national rugby union team, Ireland, Scotland national rugby union team, Scotland, and ...
, and went on to earn 73 caps. In 2022, Folau switched allegiance in order to represent Tonga after
World Rugby World Rugby is the governing body for the sport of rugby union. World Rugby organises the Rugby World Cup every four years, the sport's most recognised and most profitable competition. It also organises a number of other international competit ...
announced its new eligibility laws. Folau's statements about
homosexuality Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or Human sexual activity, sexual behavior between people of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexu ...
brought him into conflict with the administrators of
Rugby Australia Rugby Australia Ltd, previously named Australian Rugby Union Limited and Australian Rugby Football Union Limited, is an Australian company operating the premier rugby union competition in Australia and teams. It has its origins in 1949. It is a ...
, and in 2019 they terminated his contract. Alleging that Rugby Australia terminated his employment on the basis of religion, Folau commenced proceedings in the
Fair Work Commission The Fair Work Commission (FWC), until 2013 known as Fair Work Australia (FWA), is the Australian industrial relations tribunal created by the ''Fair Work Act 2009'' as part of the Rudd Government's reforms to industrial relations in Austral ...
but was unable to reach a settlement with Rugby Australia. He subsequently commenced proceedings in the
Federal Circuit Court of Australia The Federal Circuit Court of Australia, formerly known as the Federal Magistrates Court of Australia or the Federal Magistrates Service, was an Australian court hierarchy, Australian court with jurisdiction over matters broadly relating to fami ...
and a confidential settlement between the two parties was released on 4 December 2019.


Early life

Folau was born in Minto, New South Wales, to Tongan parents, Eni and Amelia. He attended Lurnea Public School and
Westfields Sports High School Westfields Sports High School (abbreviated as WSHS) is a Education in Australia#Government schools, government-funded Mixed-sex school, co-educational Comprehensive education, comprehensive and specialist secondary school, secondary day school, ...
before his family moved to
Brisbane Brisbane ( ; ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the States and territories of Australia, state of Queensland and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia, with a ...
, Queensland, in 2004, after his father obtained work there. In Brisbane, Folau attended Marsden State High School from where he was selected for the Queensland Schoolboys squad in the Australian Under-15 Championships and also represented the Australian Schoolboys team in 2006. Folau also played several seasons of junior rugby league at the Goodna Eagles in Goodna. At the Australian championships, Folau was spotted by a
Melbourne Storm The Melbourne Storm is a rugby league football club based in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia that participates in the National Rugby League (NRL). The club plays its home games at AAMI Park, and wears a purple and navy blu ...
scout and was invited to play his junior football with the Storm's feeder club at the time,
Queensland Cup The Queensland Cup, currently known as the Hostplus Cup for sponsorship reasons, is the highest-level regional rugby league, rugby league football competition in Queensland, Australia. It is run by the Queensland Rugby League, Queensland Rugby ...
team, the
Norths Devils The Northern Suburbs Devils, or North Brisbane Devils, or often simply referred to as Norths for short, are a rugby league club representing the northern suburbs of Brisbane, Australia. The team colours are sky blue, navy blue and gold. They pl ...
. He won a premiership while playing with Norths and became the first player to represent Queensland Under-19's while still only 16 years old. From playing with the Queensland Schoolboys and the Devils, in 2006, while in year 12 at Marsden State High School where his classmates were
Chris Sandow Chris Sandow (born 9 January 1989) is an Indigenous Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played as a goal-kicking or , he could also play as a . Background Sandow was born in Kingaroy, Queensland. Sandow grew up in Quee ...
and Antonio Winterstein, Folau was selected to play in the Australian Schoolboys squad that toured Wales, England and France. Folau was strong, representing Australia and at the end of the tour was awarded the Australian Secondary School Rugby Leagues (ASSRL) Award for the best back of the tournament. Playing years above his age gave Melbourne the confidence to give Folau an opportunity in the NRL.


Rugby league career


Melbourne Storm


2007

Folau was just 17 years of age when he made his debut in the
2007 NRL season The 2007 NRL season was the one hundredth season of professional rugby league football club competition in Australia, and the tenth run by the National Rugby League. Sixteen teams contested the NRL's 2007 Telstra Premiership, and with the inclusi ...
. His debut came earlier than his coach
Craig Bellamy Craig Douglas Bellamy (born 13 July 1979) is a Welsh football coach and former professional association football, footballer who played as a Forward (association football), forward. He is the current Football coach (association football), head ...
intended, and he was named as a replacement on the for injured Steve Turner. He started in the side's first match of the 2007 NRL season, against the
Wests Tigers The Wests Tigers is an Australian professional rugby league football team, based in the Inner West of Sydney and South Western Sydney. The Tigers have competed in the National Rugby League (NRL) since being formed at the end of the 1999 N ...
, and became the youngest player ever to play for the Storm. In his first game, he scored the match-winning try to help Melbourne beat the Tigers 18–16. After such a solid performance in his opening game, and an injury-free year, Folau went on to play in every match of the season, the only player to do so for Melbourne in 2007. Playing superbly on the wing, coach Craig Bellamy brought Folau in to play in the s from time to time, where he would receive more ball and have more opportunity to score points. After 26 rounds Folau finished the regular season with 21 tries and 5 goals for a total of 94 career points. His try tally (21) saw him the equal top-try scorer for the 2007 regular season alongside
North Queensland Cowboys The North Queensland Cowboys is an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Townsville, the largest city in North Queensland. They compete in Australia's premier rugby league competition, the National Rugby League (NRL). Sinc ...
full-back Matt Bowen. In his rookie year Folau broke a number of club and NRL records, the most prestigious being teammate
Billy Slater William Slater (born 18 June 1983) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 2000s and 2010s. Slater is the current coach of the Queensland Maroons, whom he coached to victories in the 2022 and 2023 State o ...
's previous NRL record of most tries in a debut season (Slater scored 19 in 2003). Folau capped off a magnificent first season in the NRL by winning the 2007 Dally M ''Rookie of the Year'' Award and being a part of the successful 2007 Melbourne Storm premiership side, that only lost three matches all year. This premiership was later taken away due to mass salary cap breaches. Following an ankle injury to
Brisbane Broncos The Brisbane Broncos are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Red Hill, a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland. Founded in April 1987, the Broncos compete in the National Rugby League (NRL) and play their home games at ...
centre Justin Hodges, Folau replaced him in the Australian test side to play
New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
on 14 October 2007. On his international debut, Folau became the youngest ever player to represent Australia at 18 years and 194 days old, passing the previous record set by
Brad Fittler Bradley Scott Fittler (born 5 February 1972), also known by the nickname of "Freddy", is an Australian rugby league commentator, television presenter, and former player. Fittler captained both New South Wales rugby league team, New South Wales ...
(18 years and 247 days) in 1990. Folau then went on to score two tries in Australia's record-breaking 58–0 victory over New Zealand.


2008

In 2008, after Melbourne and New South Wales representative Matt King announced he would be leaving the Storm to play with the
Warrington Wolves Warrington Wolves are a professional rugby league club based in Warrington, England. They play home games at the Halliwell Jones Stadium and compete in Super League, the top tier of British rugby league system, British rugby league. Warringto ...
in the
Super League Super League (also known as the Betfred Super League for sponsorship reasons, and legally Super League Europe Ltd.) is a professional rugby league competition, and the highest level of the British rugby league system, which consists of twelve t ...
, Folau filled the void as the starting centre for Melbourne. After seven rounds of the 2008 season, Folau was named on the wing in the starting squad to represent Australia for the second time in the Centenary Australia vs. New Zealand test, contributing a try in the 28–12 win for the Kangaroos. Folau was then selected in the starting squad as a winger in the
Queensland State of Origin Team The Queensland rugby league team represents the Australian state of Queensland in rugby league football. Nicknamed the "Maroons" after the colour of their jersey, they play three times a year against arch-rivals New South Wales in the State of ...
for game I of the 2008 Series. On 21 May 2008, Folau made his debut for Queensland at
ANZ Stadium Stadium Australia, currently known as Accor Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a multi-purpose stadium located in the suburb of Sydney Olympic Park, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The stadium, which is sometimes referred to as Sydney Ol ...
Sydney. In the final minutes of the match, Folau scored a try on debut, but Queensland lost 18–10 to
New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...
. Folau retained his position for game II at
Suncorp Stadium Brisbane Stadium (Lang Park), currently known as Suncorp Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a multi-purpose stadium in the suburb of Milton, Queensland, Milton, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Nicknamed The Cauldron, it is a three-tiered rect ...
in Brisbane. Folau contributed one of the Maroons' four tries in the 30-point win over the Blues, levelling the series. In the final game of the series, game III, Folau scored two leaping tries and was awarded the ''Man of the Match'' in Queensland's 16–10 win over NSW. At the conclusion of the 2008 regular season, Folau was again honoured at the prestigious Dally M Awards night, winning the Dally M Centre of the Year award. Folau had been a part of his second minor premiership in as many years with the Melbourne Storm and played in his second consecutive grand final where they lost in a rematch of last years final to the
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles The Manly Warringah Sea Eagles are an Australian professional rugby league club based in Sydney's Northern Beaches. They compete in the National Rugby League (NRL). The Manly club debuted in the 1947 New South Wales Rugby Football League sea ...
. Earlier in the year away from the field, on 30 March 2008, it was announced Folau had signed with the
Brisbane Broncos The Brisbane Broncos are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Red Hill, a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland. Founded in April 1987, the Broncos compete in the National Rugby League (NRL) and play their home games at ...
for the 2009 NRL season. Folau's decision to leave the Melbourne Storm at the end of 2008 was influenced by his desire to live closer to his family in Brisbane, Queensland. In October 2008, Folau was chosen to play for the
Kangaroos Kangaroos are marsupials from the family Macropodidae (macropods, meaning "large foot"). In common use, the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, the red kangaroo, as well as the antilopine kangaroo, eastern grey ...
in the
2008 Rugby League World Cup The 2008 Rugby League World Cup was the thirteenth World Cup for men’s rugby league national teams. It was held between 26 October and 22 November and was won by New Zealand, who defeated Australia 34–20 in the final in one of the greatest ...
. Folau scored two tries in Australia's successful opening match against New Zealand but would not score another try all through the series despite starting in Australia's 52 – 4 win over England and 52 – 0 win over Fiji. On 22 November he took part in his first World Cup Grand Final starting in the centres for Australia. Unfortunately for Folau he would not add a World Cup victory to his accolades as Australia lost 34 – 20 to under-dogs New Zealand. Folau received the
Rugby League International Federation The International Rugby League (IRL) is the global governing body for the sport of rugby league football. The IRL organises the Rugby League World Cup, the oldest international rugby World Cup, as well as the Women's and Wheelchair equivalen ...
2008 Rookie of the Year award.


Brisbane Broncos

Folau was a major signing for the Broncos at the same time several key players, as well as coach Wayne Bennett left the club.


2009

Folau made his debut for the Brisbane Broncos in round one of the 2009 season, scoring the team's first try in a 19–18 win over the
North Queensland Cowboys The North Queensland Cowboys is an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Townsville, the largest city in North Queensland. They compete in Australia's premier rugby league competition, the National Rugby League (NRL). Sinc ...
. The following week, Folau again opened the scoring in the highly anticipated clash against his former club,
Melbourne Storm The Melbourne Storm is a rugby league football club based in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia that participates in the National Rugby League (NRL). The club plays its home games at AAMI Park, and wears a purple and navy blu ...
, soaring above his former teammates to take a catch in what would be the first try in the Broncos 16–14 win – the club's first home win over the Storm since 2005. Folau continued his try-scoring feats averaging a try-a-game by Round 10. This was helped by a massive four-try haul against the
Gold Coast Titans The Gold Coast Titans are a professional rugby league football club, based on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. The club competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership, Australia's elite rugby league competition. Since 2008, the ...
in May, equalling Brisbane Broncos
Steve Renouf Steven Renouf (born 8 June 1970) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. Nicknamed 'the Pearl', he was known as one of the sport's greatest s. Renouf set numerous records for the ...
's record for the most tries in a single game for the Queensland club. He was selected for
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
in the one-off test match against
New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
on 8 May 2009. In April 2009, he was named in the preliminary 25-man squad to represent
Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...
in the opening match of the 2009 State of Origin series, and was subsequently picked on the wing for the opening State of Origin match. He also played in Game 2, scoring a try, but missed Game 3 due to injury.


2010

Controversially despite signing mid-year with rival code the AFL, Folau was selected and played in all three Origin games in 2010. He continued to produce try-scoring form scoring 17 tries from 16 matches with the Brisbane Broncos but his rugby league career to date was cut shorter than anticipated as the Brisbane Broncos failed to make the finals series for the first time in over a decade. Folau was also overlooked to represent Australia in the Four Nations tournament and was subsequently dis-allowed by the Australian Rugby League to play for Tonga in a warm-up match against Samoa. In a further somewhat controversial decision he was banned from being a member of the coaching staff as he had planned to run the water as a trainer for the Tongan team.


Catalans Dragons

In January 2020, Folau signed a one-year deal to play league for the
Catalans Dragons The Catalans Dragons (French language, French: ''Dragons Catalans'', Catalan language, Catalan: ''Dracs Catalans'') are a professional rugby league club from Perpignan, Pyrénées-Orientales department, France. Despite being based in France the ...
. After playing just fifteen games for the Dragons, and scoring five tries, Folau was released. Following his release, Folau was set to join the Southport Tigers in the Gold Coast Rugby League in a small stint before playing rugby union in the Japan Rugby League One, however was disallowed from being registered just three days before playing by the
Queensland Rugby League The Queensland Rugby Football League QRL Constitution, 2009: 3 (QRL QRL Constitution, 2009: 2) is the governing body for rugby league in Queensland. It is a member of the Australian Rugby League Commission (ARL Commission) and selects the mem ...
(QRL).


Rugby league statistics

* denotes
National Rugby League The National Rugby League (also known as the NRL Telstra Premiership for sponsorship reasons) is a professional rugby league competition in Oceania which contains clubs from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria (state), Victoria, the Austral ...
(NRL) season champions. * denotes played in seasons NRL finals series. * denotes played in seasons
Super League Super League (also known as the Betfred Super League for sponsorship reasons, and legally Super League Europe Ltd.) is a professional rugby league competition, and the highest level of the British rugby league system, which consists of twelve t ...
finals series.


Australian rules football career


Greater Western Sydney

As his contract with the Brisbane Broncos was set to expire at the end of the 2010 season Folau was linked to the
Melbourne Rebels The Melbourne Rebels were an Australian professional rugby union team based in Melbourne, Victoria (state), Victoria that competed in the Super Rugby competition. The Rebels made their debut in SANZAAR, SANZAR's Super Rugby tournament in 2011. T ...
rugby union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...
team in
Super Rugby Super Rugby is a men's professional rugby union club competition involving teams from Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands. It has previously included teams from Argentina, Japan, and South Africa. Super Rugby started as the S ...
and had also been linked with a move to the
Greater Western Sydney Giants The Greater Western Sydney Giants (officially the Greater Western Sydney Football Club and colloquially known as the GWS Giants or simply GWS or Giants) are a professional Australian rules football club based in Sydney Olympic Park which repres ...
, an
Australian Football League The Australian Football League (AFL) is the pre-eminent professional sports, professional competition of Australian rules football. It was originally named the Victorian Football League (VFL) and was founded in 1896 as a breakaway competition ...
(AFL) team. After a three-way bidding war between rugby league, rugby union and Australian rules football, Folau signed a deal with the expansion AFL team Greater Western Sydney, estimated to be worth up to $6 million over four years.


2011 season

Folau began his
Australian rules football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an Australian rules football playing field, oval field, often a modified ...
playing career in the
North East Australian Football League The North East Australian Football League (NEAFL ) was an Australian rules football league in New South Wales, Queensland, the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory. The league was formed in November 2010, and its inaugural ...
playing for the Greater Western Sydney Giants. Initially playing in defence and struggling to make an impact, it wasn't until GWS coach Kevin Sheedy moved him into the forward line that his performances improved, including 4 goals in a game against
Queanbeyan Football Club The Queanbeyan Tigers Australian Football Club, nicknamed the Tigers, is an Australian rules football club that competes in the AFL Canberra. The club is based in Queanbeyan, one of the oldest (proclaimed a town in 1838) and fastest growing munic ...
.


2012 season

Folau made his AFL debut in the Greater Western Sydney Giants first match in the competition, against the
Sydney Swans The Sydney Swans are a professional Australian rules football club based in Sydney, New South Wales. The men's team competes in the Australian Football League (AFL), and the women's team in the AFL Women's (AFLW). The Swans also field a Austral ...
in Round 1, 2012. At the start of the season, Israel Folau was chosen to be one of 10 players announced by the AFL as that year's Multicultural Ambassadors. The then AFL CEO
Andrew Demetriou Andrew Demetriou (born 14 April 1961) is an Australian businessman, sports administrator, and former Australian rules football player who was chief executive officer (CEO) of the Australian Football League (AFL) up to June 2014. Demetriou play ...
remarked, "We're genuinely excited to provide 10 players with the opportunity to become leaders in the community, promoting the benefits of inclusion and diversity." Folau gave up on his AFL career at the end of the 2012 season, with limited success on-field. Off-field, opinions were varied on whether the publicity surrounding him was helpful for the Giants and the AFL.


Australian rules football statistics


Rugby union career


New South Wales Waratahs


2013–14

In December 2012, it was announced that Folau, changing sports again, had joined Australian rugby union team the
Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
-based
New South Wales Waratahs The New South Wales Waratahs ( or ;), often referred to as the Waratahs, are an Australian professional rugby union team based in Sydney that represents the majority of New South Wales in the Super Rugby Pacific competition. The Waratahs play t ...
for the
2013 Super Rugby season The 2013 Super Rugby season was the third season of the new 15-team format for the Super Rugby competition involving teams from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The tournament was won by the Chiefs, who defeated the Canberra-based Brumbi ...
, also announcing his ambition to play for the Australia national rugby team. It was also the first season for new coach
Michael Cheika Michael Cheika (born 4 March 1967) is an Australian professional rugby union and rugby league coach, and former rugby union player. He is head coach of Leicester Tigers in England's Premiership Rugby. Cheika was the coach of the Australia r ...
(whom later coached Folau as
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
coach).
Melbourne Rebels The Melbourne Rebels were an Australian professional rugby union team based in Melbourne, Victoria (state), Victoria that competed in the Super Rugby competition. The Rebels made their debut in SANZAAR, SANZAR's Super Rugby tournament in 2011. T ...
Coach Damien Hill said he was sceptical about how the Waratahs, or any Super Rugby club, could fit Folau under the salary cap. Folau's potential positive impact in rugby union has been likened by several players and coaches to that of fellow league-turned-rugby star
Sonny Bill Williams Sonny William Williams (born 3 August 1985) is a New Zealand heavyweight boxer, and a former professional rugby league and rugby union player. He is only the second person to represent New Zealand in rugby union after first playing for the cou ...
. Speaking in early in 2013 about his Waratahs pre-season training, Folau said he was training at both fullback and
wing A wing is a type of fin that produces both Lift (force), lift and drag while moving through air. Wings are defined by two shape characteristics, an airfoil section and a planform (aeronautics), planform. Wing efficiency is expressed as lift-to-d ...
. Folau also said he welcomed the advice and mentorship of dual international and former Waratah Lote Tuqiri regarding the switch between league and union. Folau scored two tries in a pre-season match against Australian conference rivals, the
Melbourne Rebels The Melbourne Rebels were an Australian professional rugby union team based in Melbourne, Victoria (state), Victoria that competed in the Super Rugby competition. The Rebels made their debut in SANZAAR, SANZAR's Super Rugby tournament in 2011. T ...
. Folau's first
Super Rugby Super Rugby is a men's professional rugby union club competition involving teams from Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands. It has previously included teams from Argentina, Japan, and South Africa. Super Rugby started as the S ...
appearance for
New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...
was against long-time rivals
Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...
in the
second round The second (symbol: s) is a unit of time derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes, and finally to 60 seconds each (24 × 60 × 60 = 86400). The current and formal definition in the International System of Un ...
(23 February 2013) of the season at
Lang Park Brisbane Stadium (Lang Park), currently known as Suncorp Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a multi-purpose stadium in the suburb of Milton, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Nicknamed The Cauldron, it is a three-tiered rectangular sporting st ...
,
Brisbane Brisbane ( ; ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the States and territories of Australia, state of Queensland and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia, with a ...
. Folau's debut try for the Waratahs came in the forty-seventh minute, and was the first Waratahs try of the match. The Waratahs lost 25–17. Folau's first home appearance with the Waratahs was in the
third round Third or 3rd may refer to: Numbers * 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3 * , a fraction of one third * 1⁄60 of a ''second'', i.e., the third in a series of fractional parts in a sexagesimal number system Places * 3rd Street (di ...
against the
Melbourne Rebels The Melbourne Rebels were an Australian professional rugby union team based in Melbourne, Victoria (state), Victoria that competed in the Super Rugby competition. The Rebels made their debut in SANZAAR, SANZAR's Super Rugby tournament in 2011. T ...
. Although Folau didn't score, and with the Waratahs having to fight back a ten point deficit at half-time, the Waratahs won the match 31–26. Overall, by season's end Folau had played a total of fourteen of the sixteen matches for the New South Wales Waratahs in his debut season. In the process, Folau racked up eight tries, tied second overall for the season. However, Folau's efforts were not enough for New South Wales to finish in a finals position. The Waratahs finished third in the Australian conference, and ninth overall (out of fifteen). Furthermore, the Waratahs had a balanced record of eight wins and eight losses, accruing a positive point differential of forty-five and taking five bonus points as well. A month post-season, Folau was named in the
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
squad against the
British & Irish Lions The British & Irish Lions is a rugby union team selected from players eligible for the national teams of England national rugby union team, England, Ireland national rugby union team, Ireland, Scotland national rugby union team, Scotland, and ...
, whom were on their 2013 tour of Australia.


2015–16

In July 2015, he signed a deal to play for NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes in the Japanese
Top League Japan Rugby League One (), formerly known as the Top League (), is a rugby union competition in Japan. It is the highest level of professional rugby competition in the country. The Japan Rugby Football Union created the competition in 2003, by ...
. However, Folau did not play for the club due to injury and the relegation of the team to the Japanese second division. Folau has been awarded the
Rugby Australia Rugby Australia Ltd, previously named Australian Rugby Union Limited and Australian Rugby Football Union Limited, is an Australian company operating the premier rugby union competition in Australia and teams. It has its origins in 1949. It is a ...
John Eales Medal, the ''Wallabies' Player of the Year'' recognition, a record three times, in 2014, 2015 and 2017.


Japan


2021–22

On 5 July 2021 it was reported that Folau had switched back to play rugby union for Japanese club Shining Arcs Tokyo-Bay Urayasu (formerly NTT Communications). On his return to rugby union, Folau scored a double against Kobelco Kobe Steelers in round one of the 2022 Japan Rugby League One in
Kobe Universiade Memorial Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Kobe Sports Park, located in Suma-ku, Kobe, Suma-ku, Kobe, Japan. It is mostly used for football matches. The stadium can hold 36,000 people. It was built in 1985 for the 1985 Summer Universiade. It hosted the 2006 6 ...
. The Shining Arcs won 23–24.


Rugby union statistics

* denotes
Super Rugby Super Rugby is a men's professional rugby union club competition involving teams from Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands. It has previously included teams from Argentina, Japan, and South Africa. Super Rugby started as the S ...
season champions. * denotes played in seasons finals series.


International rugby union


Australia

Folau made his international debut for
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
against the
British & Irish Lions The British & Irish Lions is a rugby union team selected from players eligible for the national teams of England national rugby union team, England, Ireland national rugby union team, Ireland, Scotland national rugby union team, Scotland, and ...
on the
2013 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia The 2013 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia was a rugby union tour during June and July 2013. The British & Irish Lions played ten matches - a three-Test match (rugby union), test series against Australia national rugby union team, Austra ...
. Folau, scoring the first try of the game in the first game of the series, scored twice on 22 June at
Suncorp Stadium Brisbane Stadium (Lang Park), currently known as Suncorp Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a multi-purpose stadium in the suburb of Milton, Queensland, Milton, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Nicknamed The Cauldron, it is a three-tiered rect ...
,
Brisbane Brisbane ( ; ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the States and territories of Australia, state of Queensland and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia, with a ...
,
Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...
. In the 2013 Autumn tour, Folau scored his tenth try of the season against
Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...
and equalled the tally of Lote Tuqiri. Folau is the fourth highest try scoring Australian international player, behind
Adam Ashley-Cooper Adam Ashley-Cooper (born 27 March 1984) is a former Australian people, Australian rugby union player who last played for the LA Giltinis of Major League Rugby (MLR). He has played in 121 matches for Australia national rugby union team, Australi ...
, Chris Latham and
David Campese David Ian Campese, AM (; born 21 October 1962), also known as Campo, is a former Australian rugby union player (1982–1996), who was capped by the Wallabies 101 times, and played 85 Tests at wing and 16 at fullback. He retired in 1996 and ...
.


Tonga

In 2021
World Rugby World Rugby is the governing body for the sport of rugby union. World Rugby organises the Rugby World Cup every four years, the sport's most recognised and most profitable competition. It also organises a number of other international competit ...
altered the eligibility rules for players who had already played for another country. The rule allowed players to play for a second country if they had a "stand-down period of three years", among other requirements. Given the rule change, and Folau's 'parental-link' eligibility, he would be allowed to represent
Tonga Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga, is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania. The country has 171 islands, of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in the southern Pacific Ocean. accordin ...
from 2022 onwards. Coach Toutai Kefu, keen on having Folau play for Tonga, said of the decision: "We'd definitely be interested... We're not in a position to bypass players of Israel's calibre. We'd welcome him with open arms." Folau also expressed his eagerness to play for
Tonga Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga, is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania. The country has 171 islands, of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in the southern Pacific Ocean. accordin ...
, in a concise quip to Kefu: 'Yeah, I'm keen to go'. The rule change would allow six or seven players to immediately represent
Tonga Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga, is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania. The country has 171 islands, of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in the southern Pacific Ocean. accordin ...
, alongside Folau. In 2022 it was speculated that Folau would play for Tonga in the
Pacific Nations Cup The Pacific Nations Cup is an international rugby union competition held between Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Canada, Japan and the United States. First held in 2006, the tournament is intended to strengthen the Tier 2 rugby teams by providing competitiv ...
, which would include Australia A. Following confirmation of a four-team
Pacific Nations Cup The Pacific Nations Cup is an international rugby union competition held between Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Canada, Japan and the United States. First held in 2006, the tournament is intended to strengthen the Tier 2 rugby teams by providing competitiv ...
in July 2022, namely
Tonga Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga, is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania. The country has 171 islands, of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in the southern Pacific Ocean. accordin ...
,
Samoa Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa and known until 1997 as Western Samoa, is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania, in the South Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main islands (Savai'i and Upolu), two smaller, inhabited ...
,
Fiji Fiji, officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists of an archipelago of more than 330 islands—of which about ...
and Australia A, Tonga coach Toutai Kefu said Folau's eligibility is due to be reviewed by
World Rugby World Rugby is the governing body for the sport of rugby union. World Rugby organises the Rugby World Cup every four years, the sport's most recognised and most profitable competition. It also organises a number of other international competit ...
and hopes to bring the former
Wallaby A wallaby () is a small or middle-sized Macropodidae, macropod native to Australia and New Guinea, with introduced populations in New Zealand, Hawaii, the United Kingdom and other countries. They belong to the same Taxonomy (biology), taxon ...
in to play in the tournament. On 27 May 2022, it was announced that Folau, along with well-known former
New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
internationals Charles Piutau,
Malakai Fekitoa Malakai Fonokalafi Fekitoa (born 10 May 1992) is a Tongan professional rugby union player who plays as a centre for United Rugby Championship club Benetton and the Tonga national team. Early life Fekitoa was born in Haʻapai, Tonga. The ...
and Augustine Pulu, were selected for the Tonga squad ahead of the
Pacific Nations Cup The Pacific Nations Cup is an international rugby union competition held between Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Canada, Japan and the United States. First held in 2006, the tournament is intended to strengthen the Tier 2 rugby teams by providing competitiv ...
in July. Folau made his international debut for Tonga in the
first round First most commonly refers to: * First, the ordinal form of the number 1 First or 1st may also refer to: Acronyms * Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters, an astronomical survey carried out by the Very Large Array * Far Infrared a ...
(2 July 2022) of the 2022 Pacific Nations Cup against hosts Fiji. Folau was taken off after approximately a half-hour of play having obtained a hamstring injury. Folau and Tonga were kept scoreless, losing 36–0.


Sponsorships

In 2009, Folau was offered sponsorships by
Adidas Adidas AG (; stylized in all lowercase since 1949) is a German athletic apparel and footwear corporation headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria, Germany. It is the largest sportswear manufacturer in Europe, and the second largest in the ...
and
Powerade Powerade is a sports drink created in 1988 and distributed by the Coca-Cola Company. Its primary competitor is Gatorade, which is owned by PepsiCo since 2001. History Powerade was created by the Coca-Cola Company and first released in 1988. Th ...
and, in 2013, by
Goodman Fielder Goodman Fielder is an Australian manufacturer, marketer and distributor of bread, smallgoods, dairy products, margarine, oil, dressings and various food ingredients. Its main operations are in New Zealand, Australia, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, ...
. His sponsorship deal with ASICS was terminated in 2019 after he was found guilty of breaching Rugby Australia's player code of conduct.


Personal life

Folau has a sister and four brothers. He is the older brother of John Folau, who is also a rugby union player. "Israel Folau Street" was named in his honour in October 2010 in a suburb of
Goodna, Queensland Goodna is a suburb on the eastern edge of the City of Ipswich in Queensland, Australia. In the , Goodna had a population of 10,391 people. Geography Goodna is from the Brisbane central business district, being just outside the Brisbane Cit ...
, where Folau played junior rugby league. On 23 October 2016, Folau announced his engagement to New Zealand
netball Netball is a ball sport played on a rectangular court by two teams of seven players. The primary objective is to shoot a ball through the defender's goal ring while preventing the opposing team from shooting through their own. It is one of a ...
player Maria Tuta'ia. They were married outdoors on a private estate in Kangaroo Valley, New South Wales on 15 November 2017.


Religious views

Folau grew up as a
Mormon Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, the principal branch of the Latter Day Saint movement started by Joseph Smith in upstate New York during the 1820s. After Smith's death in 1844, the movement split into several ...
, but moved to being an active member of the
Assemblies of God The World Assemblies of God Fellowship (WAGF), commonly known as the Assemblies of God (AG), is a global cooperative body or communion of over 170 Pentecostal denominations that was established on August 15, 1989. The WAGF was created to provi ...
Christian denomination in 2011. His father, Eni Folau, is a
pastor A pastor (abbreviated to "Ps","Pr", "Pstr.", "Ptr." or "Psa" (both singular), or "Ps" (plural)) is the leader of a Christianity, Christian congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. In Lutherani ...
. Folau has credited his relationship with God as a reason for his athletic success in the NRL, AFL and rugby union. In a 2017 article for ''Players Voice'', Folau wrote that he reads the
Bible The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) originally writt ...
every day and that faith in
Jesus Christ Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...
is the "cornerstone of every single thing in my life" and "I believe that it is a loving gesture to share passages from the Bible with others. I do it all the time when people ask me questions about my faith or things relating to their lives, whether that's in-person or on my social media accounts." Folau is
nontrinitarian Nontrinitarianism is a form of Christianity that rejects the orthodox Christian theology of the Trinity—the belief that God is three distinct hypostases or persons who are coeternal, coequal, and indivisibly united in one being, or essence ( ...
. He has been described as a
fundamentalist Christian Christian fundamentalism, also known as fundamental Christianity or fundamentalist Christianity, is a religious movement emphasizing biblical literalism. In its modern form, it began in the late 19th and early 20th centuries among British an ...
.


Same-sex marriage

In 2017, the
Turnbull government The Turnbull government was the federal executive government of Australia led by the 29th prime minister of Australia, Malcolm Turnbull, from 2015 to 2018. It succeeded the Abbott government, which brought the Coalition to power at the 2013 Au ...
called a national postal survey on the question of changing Australian law to recognise same-sex marriage. In September, the ARU management declared the Wallabies in support of the change, prompting Folau to announce his personal opposition a day later on
Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
, where he wrote: "I love and respect all people for who they are and their opinions. but personally, I will not support gay marriage." Folau later wrote in ''Players Voice'': "I didn't agree with Bill Pulver taking a stance on the same-sex marriage vote on behalf of the whole organisation, but I understand the reasons behind why he did."


Homosexuality

In March 2015, Israel Folau, playing for the New South Wales Waratahs Rugby team, told ABC radio that there was no room for homophobia in the game, amidst allegations of homophobic sledging originating from a player on his team, and denied there was homophobia in his club. Folau's religious views became a subject of controversy in April 2018, when a follower of his
Instagram Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...
account asked him what God's "plan for homosexuals" was, and Folau replied: "
Hell In religion and folklore, hell is a location or state in the afterlife in which souls are subjected to punishment after death. Religions with a linear divine history sometimes depict hells as eternal destinations, such as Christianity and I ...
.. unless they repent of their sins and turn to God." Folau later wrote in ''Players Voice'' "My response to the question is what I believe God's plan is for all sinners, according to my understanding of my Bible teachings, specifically 1 Corinthians 6:9–10". The tweet led to accusations of
homophobia Homophobia encompasses a range of negative attitudes and feelings toward homosexuality or people who identify or are perceived as being lesbian, Gay men, gay or bisexual. It has been defined as contempt, prejudice, aversion, hatred, or ant ...
against Folau and of religious discrimination against him by accusers. The Wallabies chief sponsor
Qantas Qantas ( ), formally Qantas Airways Limited, is the flag carrier of Australia, and the largest airline by fleet size, international flights, and international destinations in Australia and List of largest airlines in Oceania, Oceania. A foundi ...
condemned Folau's comments, announcing: "We've made clear to Rugby Australia that we find the comments very disappointing."
Rugby Australia Rugby Australia Ltd, previously named Australian Rugby Union Limited and Australian Rugby Football Union Limited, is an Australian company operating the premier rugby union competition in Australia and teams. It has its origins in 1949. It is a ...
's CEO, Raelene Castle, said that they accepted Folau's position, though they did not agree with his views, and he would not be sanctioned by the organisation. Folau wrote: "Since my social media posts were publicised, it has been suggested that I am homophobic and bigoted and that I have a problem with gay people. This could not be further from the truth. I fronted the cover of the '' Star Observer'' magazine to show my support for the Bingham Cup, which is an international gay rugby competition for both men and women. I believe in inclusion. In my heart, I know I do not have any phobia towards anyone."I'm a sinner too
www.playersvoice.com.au


Gender optional birth certificates

On Wednesday, 10 April 2019, the Tasmanian Parliament passed amendments to the Birth, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act to allow gender to be changed on Birth Certificates by a simple statutory declaration. Later on that day on his personal
Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
account, Folau posted a screenshot of the news headline that read: "
Tasmania Tasmania (; palawa kani: ''Lutruwita'') is an island States and territories of Australia, state of Australia. It is located to the south of the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland, and is separated from it by the Bass Strait. The sta ...
becomes first Australian jurisdiction to make gender optional on birth certificates". Folau then tweeted: 'The devil has blinded so many people in this world. Repent and turn away from your evil ways. Turn to Jesus Christ who will set you free". In response, Andy Brennan, Australia's only openly gay male professional soccer player at the time, said "If I was 16 years old and reading what he said, it would have made me feel awful", and "You can't let negativity win, otherwise what olausays wins."


Bible verses

Some hours later, in his personal
Instagram Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...
account, Folau posted a screenshot of a
meme A meme (; ) is an idea, behavior, or style that Mimesis, spreads by means of imitation from person to person within a culture and often carries symbolic meaning representing a particular phenomenon or theme. A meme acts as a unit for carrying c ...
, quoting 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 "WARNING Drunks, Homosexuals, Adulterers, Liars, Fornicators, Thieves, Atheists, Idolators
HELL In religion and folklore, hell is a location or state in the afterlife in which souls are subjected to punishment after death. Religions with a linear divine history sometimes depict hells as eternal destinations, such as Christianity and I ...
AWAITS YOU. REPENT! ONLY JESUS SAVES". Folau, in the same Instagram post also quoted Galatians 5:19-21, and two verses on
repentance Repentance is reviewing one's actions and feeling contrition or regret for past or present wrongdoings, which is accompanied by commitment to and actual actions that show and prove a change for the better. In modern times, it is generally seen ...
,
salvation Salvation (from Latin: ''salvatio'', from ''salva'', 'safe, saved') is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation. In religion and theology, ''salvation'' generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its c ...
and justification, Acts 2:38 and Acts 17:30. Rugby Australia immediately denounced the post as
homophobic Homophobia encompasses a range of negative attitudes and feelings toward homosexuality or people who identify or are perceived as being lesbian, Gay men, gay or bisexual. It has been defined as contempt, prejudice, aversion, hatred, or ant ...
. The next day, (11 April 2019) Rugby Australia announced their intention to terminate his contract "in the absence of compelling mitigating factors", and said they had been unable to contact him. Folau's post and the actions of Rugby Australia divided opinion amongst players and supporters and ignited a human rights debate across Australia, with Rugby Australia arguing its "inclusiveness" policy had been breached, and others calling for tolerance of the expression of religious views. Ahead of his disciplinary hearing, Folau expressed a determination to continue playing rugby, while still holding to his beliefs.


Church sermons

Delivering a sermon at his church on Easter Sunday at the height of the controversy, he broke down while recalling the words from the Bible, Matthew 16:26, "For what shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?" Folau, in a church sermon, said that the devil is behind primary school children being allowed to decide if they wanted to change gender by taking away the permission of their parents. He also said homosexuality is a sin. In November 2019, Folau was criticised following his preaching in regards to
same-sex marriage Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same legal Legal sex and gender, sex. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 38 countries, with a total population of 1.5 ...
and
abortion Abortion is the early termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. Abortions that occur without intervention are known as miscarriages or "spontaneous abortions", and occur in roughly 30–40% of all pregnan ...
. Quoting from the
Book of Isaiah The Book of Isaiah ( ) is the first of the Latter Prophets in the Hebrew Bible and the first of the Major Prophets in the Christian Old Testament. It is identified by a superscription as the words of the 8th-century BC prophet Isaiah ben Amo ...
he said he believes the scripture is talking to Australia, and said, "Look how rapid these
bushfires A wildfire, forest fire, or a bushfire is an unplanned and uncontrolled fire in an area of Combustibility and flammability, combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire may be more specifically identified as a ...
, these droughts, have come in a short period of time. Do you think it's a coincidence or not? God is speaking to you guys." In response, the Australian Prime Minister
Scott Morrison Scott John Morrison (born 13 May 1968) is an Australian former politician who served as the 30th prime minister of Australia from 2018 to 2022. He held office as leader of the Liberal Party of Australia, leader of the Liberal Party and was ...
described Folau's remarks as "appallingly insensitive".


Legal proceedings

In May 2019, a ''Code of Conduct'' hearing was undertaken, during which the CEO of Rugby Australia, Raelene Castle, suggested she would have terminated Folau's contract if he had "photocopied Bible passages" and posted them to his social media. Folau was found to have breached Rugby Australia's code of conduct, and later that month he lost a sponsorship deal with ASICS. On 17 May 2019, his 4-year employment contract with Rugby Australia was terminated early, ending his career with the Waratahs and the Wallabies. At the May 2019 hearing, Folau said that at least 15 teammates and members of the coaching staff had either provided him with messages of support and/or urged for his return to the playing field. On 6 June 2019, Folau launched legal proceedings with the
Fair Work Commission The Fair Work Commission (FWC), until 2013 known as Fair Work Australia (FWA), is the Australian industrial relations tribunal created by the ''Fair Work Act 2009'' as part of the Rudd Government's reforms to industrial relations in Austral ...
against Rugby Australia and the Waratahs under section 772 of the
Fair Work Act The ''Fair Work Act 2009'' (Cth) is an Act of the Parliament of Australia, passed by the Rudd government to reform the industrial relations system of Australia. Replacing the Howard government's WorkChoices legislation, the Act established ...
, which makes it unlawful to terminate employment on the basis of religion. Folau launched a
GoFundMe GoFundMe is an American for-profit crowdfunding platform that allows people to raise money for events ranging from life events such as celebrations and graduations to challenging circumstances like accidents and illnesses. From 2010 to the ...
crowdfunding campaign in mid-June and sought to raise $3 million to cover his legal costs. Some of his former teammates described Folau's appeal as selfish and greedy. Folau was also criticised for seeking crowdfunded money despite accumulating a multi-million dollar fortune. The appeal included a statement that "there will be no obligations on Israel Folau to ... apply the funds in any particular way". On 24 June 2019, GoFundMe shut down Folau's fundraising campaign, stating that it violated GoFundMe's terms of service by promoting discrimination or exclusion, and that all donations would be refunded. In a response to the termination of Folau's GoFundMe campaign, the
Australian Christian Lobby The Australian Christian Lobby (ACL) is a Christian-conservative advocacy organisation based in Canberra. Structure The ACL is registered as a public company limited by guarantee and files political expenditure returns with the Australian Ele ...
(ACL) announced on 25 June 2019 that it was donating $100,000 to Folau, was setting up an alternate donation site, and that any funds raised would only be used for his legal costs. The second campaign raised over $2 million in two days before being paused by the ACL with Folau's consent. On 19 July 2019, the Fair Work Commission issued a certificate confirming all reasonable attempts to resolve the dispute between Folau and Rugby Australia had been unsuccessful. On 1 August 2019, Folau launched legal action in the
Federal Circuit Court of Australia The Federal Circuit Court of Australia, formerly known as the Federal Magistrates Court of Australia or the Federal Magistrates Service, was an Australian court hierarchy, Australian court with jurisdiction over matters broadly relating to fami ...
, against RA and NSW Rugby for unlawful termination on the basis of religion, breach of contract and restraint of trade. Folau sought an apology, compensation, penalties and the right to play rugby union again. In November 2019, Folau increased his compensation claim against Rugby Australia to $14 million, claiming that he could have been a Wallabies captain. This claim was viewed with bemusement and ridicule from past and present Australian rugby union players, as Folau had never held a captaincy or vice-captaincy position with any of the football teams he had been a part of. Folau and Rugby Australia issued a joint statement and apology on 4 December 2019 that stated no harm had been intended by either party and announced that a confidential settlement had been reached. In December 2019, the Anti-Discrimination Board of NSW decided to investigate a complaint that Folau had engaged in homosexuality vilification. The case was rejected and dismissed during April 2020 initial proceedings, and was found to be of ''collateral purpose, as a means to pressure the respondent to settle with him''.


Other controversies

After Folau signed for the
Catalans Dragons The Catalans Dragons (French language, French: ''Dragons Catalans'', Catalan language, Catalan: ''Dracs Catalans'') are a professional rugby league club from Perpignan, Pyrénées-Orientales department, France. Despite being based in France the ...
in 2020, he caused controversy again, in the first game of the season against St Helens, being the only player of both teams refusing to take the knee, as a symbol of solidarity against
police brutality Police brutality is the excessive and unwarranted use of force by law enforcement against an individual or Public order policing, a group. It is an extreme form of police misconduct and is a civil rights violation. Police brutality includes, b ...
and
racism Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one Race (human categorization), race or ethnicity over another. It may also me ...
.


Honours


Individual


Rugby league

*
2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...
: Dally M Rookie of the Year *
2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...
: Australian Young Performer of the Year ''( Fairfax Sports Performer Awards)'' *
2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...
: International Newcomer of the Year (
RLIF Awards The RLIF Awards are the Rugby League International Federation's annual major international sporting award for rugby league. Since 2004 the awards ceremony recognises the best referee, coach, developing nations player, international newcomer, capta ...
) *
2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...
: State of Origin Man-of-the-Match (Game 3, 2008) *
2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...
: Dally M Centre of the Year


Team


Rugby league

*
2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...
:
NRL The National Rugby League (also known as the NRL Telstra Premiership for sponsorship reasons) is a professional rugby league competition in Oceania which contains clubs from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria (state), Victoria, the Austral ...
Premiers ''(Melbourne Storm)'' (stripped) *
2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...
: NRL Minor Premiers ''(Melbourne Storm)'' (stripped)


Rugby union

*
2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...
:
Super Rugby Super Rugby is a men's professional rugby union club competition involving teams from Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands. It has previously included teams from Argentina, Japan, and South Africa. Super Rugby started as the S ...
Winners'' (New South Wales Waratahs)''


Representative


Rugby league

*
2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...
: All-time Youngest Australian International Player ''(18 years and 194 days)'' * 2007–09: Australian Kangaroos Test Squad (3 Tests) *
2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...
: Australian Rugby League World Cup Squad (5 Matches) * 2008–10: Queensland State of Origin Squad (8 Matches)


Rugby union

*
2015 2015 was designated by the United Nations as: * International Year of Light * International Year of Soil __TOC__ Events January * January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
: Rugby Championship Winners


National Rugby League Records

*
2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...
: Most Tries in a Debut Season ''(21)''


Notes


References


External links

*
Israel Folau's first-person articles
{{DEFAULTSORT:Folau, Israel 1989 births Living people 2015 Rugby World Cup players 21st-century Australian sportsmen Australia international rugby union players Australia national rugby league team players Australian Christian Churches people Australian expatriate rugby union players in Japan Australian rugby league players Australian rugby union players Australian rules footballers from Brisbane Australian sportspeople of Tongan descent Brisbane Broncos players Catalans Dragons players Christian fundamentalists Converts from Mormonism Dual-code rugby internationals Footballers who switched code Former Latter Day Saints Greater Western Sydney Giants players Melbourne Storm players New South Wales Waratahs players Nontrinitarian Christians Norths Devils players NRL All Stars players NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes Osaka players People educated at Westfields Sports High School Queensland Rugby League State of Origin players Rugby league centres Rugby league players from Minto, New South Wales Rugby league wingers Rugby union players from Brisbane Rugby union players from Sydney Rugby union wings Sportsmen from New South Wales Sportspeople from Logan, Queensland Sydney Stars players Tonga international rugby union players Tongan rugby union players Urayasu D-Rocks players