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Friday
14:10
International

Israel Folau at centre of fresh controversy after choosing not to 'take a knee' before Super League match

(Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

Controversial former Wallaby fullback Israel Folau is drawing fire once again after he chose not to take a knee before Catalan Dragons Super League match with St Helens at Headingley.

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Folau remained standing while his teammates and the opposition took a knee before kick-off in deference to the Black Lives Matter movement. The move by Folau caused a stir among some journalists covering the game and sparked largely negative responses on social media. He soon began trending on Twitter in the UK.

Guardian journalist Aaron Bower wrote: “St Helens and Catalans players take the knee before kick-off: but noticeably Israel Folau did NOT join the rest of the players in doing so. Wow.”

Dragons head coach Steve McNamara addressed the issue after the game, saying: “As a whole club we are completely against racism and for equal opportunity. Some players and staff chose not to take the knee – that was personal choice and as a group we respected personal choice.”

While many attacked Folau for refusing the kneel, others defended the move and the player from those lambasting the ex-Wallaby.

Folau is no stranger to controversy of course. The 31-year-old had an acrimonious break-up with Rugby Australia in 2019 for writing anti-gay posts on social media. A Christian, Folau argued that the subsequent termination of his contract was a case of religious discrimination. They settled out of court.

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Unable to pick up a contract in union amid the fallout in Australia, Folau opted to make the switch back to league, albeit on a different continent with Catalan Dragons.

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Comments on RugbyPass

L
LW 9 minutes ago
Key Wallabies trio running hot a year after being left in cold

No question that eddie jones is the biggest myth of a coach in rugby... bigger even than gatland and that's saying something

13 Go to comments
S
SM 28 minutes ago
Former All Blacks have their say ahead of Italy team selection

Get rid of Jeff Wilson, he is the most,"NEGATIVE THING," I have listened to since his first appearance on a Rugby Channel!

Eevery person that has coached the The All Blacks, Jeff Wilson has to run them down, or badly Belittle them, as "THOUGH little Jeff wilson THINKS he's the man FOR THE JOB.

To give you a look into a jeff Wilson coaching session.

(1) Arrive at 5.30pm on dot, leave training gear changing room, then head to the bar upstairs.

(2) Grab a empty glass, size doesn't matter behind bar then head to keg at end of bar fill your glass and drink........

(3) Wait until everyone has turned up, until everyone has turned up I want you to do your elbow bending exercise.

(4) After 3 and a hours when anyone, or everyone has had enough of elbow bending, you can all go home.

THANK'S FOR COMING!

Same Time Tomorrow.

3 Go to comments
J
JW 36 minutes ago
'Passionate reunion of France and New Zealand shows Fabien Galthie is wrong to rest his stars'

BOO hahaha

203 Go to comments
J
JW 51 minutes ago
'Passionate reunion of France and New Zealand shows Fabien Galthie is wrong to rest his stars'

You must not understand the point WN. France were every chance to win in 1995, so close in that rain sodden match it was literally a toss of the coin. Ditto in 2011.


The point being it shows teams whether or not they have the metal, so even if you have examples of full strength sides losing every game, they still know the kind of bar they need to meet (NZ being in this case just a team that is nearly always up around that bar needed to win). France sends a side missing key components? It's very easy for them to believe they are still good enough when they aren't, or their best players not to release they need to try and acheive getting better..

203 Go to comments
J
JW 58 minutes ago
'Passionate reunion of France and New Zealand shows Fabien Galthie is wrong to rest his stars'

Is that about the prestige of the crown more than the participation with those teams though?


I reckon the other europeans country's teams really enjoy having a classic French club visit for Cup pool games etc?


It's not "and they are the most successful..", it's "because they are the most successful..", but I digress, I agree with your point, I just wonder that if because the other two comps/teams likely want more filler games (a pre knockout pool stage), and LNR's might be getting to the stage where they don't, skipping that part might be a fair common ground to meet (so not above having your cake etc).


The real shakeup could be this new world league though. None of the French mercenaries are going to say, 'yes, please I want to be working for 10 or 11 months of every year' to the LNR teams trying to keep their coachs and players from joining the rebel league.

203 Go to comments
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NH 1 hour ago
Key Wallabies trio running hot a year after being left in cold

Nice one brett and full circle for these brumbies boys who also formed the spine of Rennie's wallabies for a chunk of his tenure. As you and others have said, I'm most happy for Noah given the ups and downs he has had over the last couple of years. I have spent alot of time telling others to be patient and to point out the good things he was doing in those earlier games this year while everyone seemed fixated on the 2-3 errors he was making. Luckily shmidt is patient and level-headed and persisted with him allowing his confidence to grow. I said from the start, I didn't care who he picked at 10 out of noah, donno and lynagh (although I thought noah deserved it on SR form), we had to stick with them and let them grow in the new system, we couldn't chop and change. As you say, to me noah is playing like Ford or Foley where his skill is in organising the play and getting the ball to the right person, at the right time, in the right part of the field rather than a quade/M smith (also quality players) who are going to create 5 linebreaks a game single handedly. What hasn't been talked about enough under schmidts tenure and in these winning games because the focus has been on the flashy tries, is that the wallabies are finally managing the game well. They are getting more 22 entries, more territory, less penalties, less turnovers etc etc. These are things the wallabies have struggled with for a long time and are finally getting right. The difference in turnovers at the ruck and lineout was a huge factor in this wales game, suaalii and his restart turnovers vs england etc...

13 Go to comments
D
DC000 1 hour ago
Cheslin Kolbe backed to end 16-year wait

Because he plays more than 40 minutes every match. Something the Saffas are too out of shape to do.

8 Go to comments
J
JW 1 hour ago
'Passionate reunion of France and New Zealand shows Fabien Galthie is wrong to rest his stars'

Once they see their match day revenue go up on average, their fan engagement increase, as a result of a better competition, they should be OK with it. Also less costs battling with players trying to change their contracts or ask for rest, and pay injury insurance, maybe they don't need those B team players on their balance sheets anymore as well?


Nar that's actually a good idea, I thought they already had some representation but in the Champions Cup would be better. This is such a flexible and easy way to make change that it doesn't need to be permeant. I'd imagine other teams would be happier with a shorter/smaller pool phase (without the French drawcards?) though, I just know that teams like the Cheetahs would be hanging out for a few extra competitive games.

203 Go to comments
R
RW 1 hour ago
Super Rugby Aupiki and Super W champions set to square off in 2025

Great news

1 Go to comments
M
Mike 1 hour ago
Junior Kpoku snubs England approach to extend Top 14 deal - report

Note the reference to "JIFF" status from 2026. Does that mean that Junior will no longer count against the foreign player quota, or that he becomes eligible for France via residency at that point? I think France have a policy of only picking players who have or are in the process to obtain French passports, but again, if he's lived and worked there for the required period, presumably that's doable?


Massive test match potential from that England U20 squad. Be a damn shame if we don't get to see it in the white shirt at test level because they can make a better living playing rugby somewhere else, or worse still, playing for someone else!

5 Go to comments
A
A Rod 1 hour ago
Key Wallabies trio running hot a year after being left in cold

Ikitau was coming back from an injury v South Africa

13 Go to comments
B
Brett McKay 1 hour ago
Key Wallabies trio running hot a year after being left in cold

Still more than a few MacAussies that will be in the same boat, Derek! 😄

13 Go to comments
B
Brett McKay 1 hour ago
Key Wallabies trio running hot a year after being left in cold

Scotland will be a massive Test MJ, no question. And it was always going to be, within this schedule.


But, I do feel like the Wallabies are in a much better position to handle/contain/compete with the Scots now than was the case at the end of the TRC, so I don't know about anyone else, but I'm really excited about this game this weekend..

13 Go to comments
B
Brett McKay 1 hour ago
Key Wallabies trio running hot a year after being left in cold

He certainly looks comfortable in this system Schmidt has them playing JD, no doubt about that..

13 Go to comments
W
Willie 1 hour ago
Former All Blacks have their say ahead of Italy team selection

Cane definitely earned his keep with not only his performance but talking/motivating the younger players. They could have left Yapper at home.

3 Go to comments
N
NH 1 hour ago
How leviathan Will Skelton and the Wallabies reversed the World Cup fiasco

What have you thought of the two hookers nick? Schmidt clearly seems to prefer Faessler. Do you see much between them? I know you like BPA for his scrummaging.

102 Go to comments
N
NH 2 hours ago
How leviathan Will Skelton and the Wallabies reversed the World Cup fiasco

On watching the replay last night, I wasn't quite as impressed with the wallabies tbh as the noise has been. I didn't think they were as good as the england game, but it was nice to see them have a game wrapped up after 50 minutes. Skelton was immense and I thought Kerevi was more solid then many have said. Kellaway had his best game for a while, and the first time that jorgenson hasn't looked like a debutant. I think schmidt has a nice balance at the moment of starters and finishers meaning that there performance holds for the full 80. What most impressed me was the game management in the 20 minutes kerevi was off, I thought alot of good decisions were made.

102 Go to comments
J
JW 2 hours ago
Scott Robertson addresses Finau and Barrett injuries after France loss

Ok my team v Italy


EDG > Ofa

Taylor > Aumua

Newell > Tosi

Paddy c

Lord > Holland

Cane

Lio-Willie

Lakai > Kirifi

Roigard > TJP

Dmac

Clarke

ALB > Havili

AJ Lam

Reiko

Perofeta > Love

24 Go to comments
J
JJ 2 hours ago
Sadness pervades as Gatland stands on the brink of Welsh exit

Gatland wasn't coach in 2013 as he was on sabbatical with the Lions. Rob Howley was in charge then and again in 2017.

3 Go to comments
J
JW 2 hours ago
'Lightweight' Premiership not preparing England players for Test rugby

Well I don't buy into that talk about Super myself. Those teams haven't dropped their standards too much, if at all, over the years. People just misconstrue the Wallabies decline, and the terrible years in 2018/19 where they couldn't win a game against NZ teams, as it being a drop overall somehow. Illogically is how. Of course it could simply be that the NZ teams got better, as they also beat most of the SA'n teams (who immediately started winning in Europe).


The Top 14 doesn't just have a bigger playing population (actually less than England I thought) they have to distribute it over two divisions of teams. Stars often come out of Div2 unlike in England (to my knowledge). Agreed, Englands teams are getting very drilled and a lot of them have turned the corner on how they play rugby. Should only keep England close to the top (ofc that's not good enough for them lol).

9 Go to comments
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LONG READ Key Wallabies trio running hot a year after being left in cold Key Wallabies trio running hot a year after being left in cold
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