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Who Israel Folau blames for his Rugby Australia sacking
By Ian Cameron
Israel Folau has claimed that media spin was largely responsible for his 2019 dismissal by Rugby Australia (RA), insisting that he was “misunderstood” at the time.
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The 35-year-old former Wallabies full-back was key player for the Wallabies when RA terminated his contract following controversial social media posts.
In 2019, Folau posted on Instagram that “hell awaits drunks, homosexuals, adulterers, liars, fornicators, thieves, atheists and idolators.” This post followed a 2018 incident where he stated that homosexuals would go to hell unless they repented, sparking widespread backlash.
Folau’s comments and subsequent dismissal effectively ended his career at the top level of rugby, although he has recently returned to Test rugby with Tonga. Before his sacking, Folau had featured in 73 Tests for Australia and was signed with the Waratahs for another three years in a deal that would have run until 2022.
He has since maintained that his intentions were misrepresented, attributing his downfall to how the media portrayed his views.
“When I put up the post, I never thought that I’d get terminated for it. It just never crossed my mind,” Folau told the Ebbs and Flows rugby league podcast this weekend.
“A lot of people misunderstood the actual post and the media played a huge part in taking it and spinning that one word.
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“If you know me personally, you’d know the intention behind the post. But the media played a huge part in taking it and spinning it the way they wanted to.
“I think that built all that pressure and momentum which went that way and ended up with me getting terminated.”
After his contract was terminated by Rugby Australia he has went on to have another stint in rugby league before returning to rugby union with Japan’s Urayasu D-Rocks.
The 6’4, 102kg outside back missed the Rugby World Cup with Tonga last year with injury.
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Still got foot in mouth disease I see.
The Christo-Fascist and Islamist movements, sponsored by Greedy capitalists, are the greatest attacks on democracy since the demise of the Nazis and the Communists. Cherry-picking the Bible is of no concern to hypocrites. The Bible also states that eating shellfish and having tattoos will send one straight to Hell. Have you ever met a Christian who can turn the other cheek?
Like Drumpf, Folau takes no responsibility and blames his troubles on the news media which he claims is not intelligent enough to understand his prejudices.
I have read the bible several times, which in the Mark Twain tradition, ensured I became an atheist.
Science has proven time and time again that there is no need for a God to explain the development of our universe or the human race.
Idolators indeed! Does he include sportsmen who use their fame to influence the naive and separate them from their money??
When the Christians ruled the Earth we called it the Dark Ages which gave us the Inquisition. Galileo has only recently been pardoned by the Church of Rome
Seems like you are the bigot, you hate Christians. If you don't agree with the Bible just ignore it, you obviously don't understand the basics of the Bible (divided by Old Testament and New Testament). Very easy to cherry pick from the Bible if you understand a little bit of it.
What incoherent drivel.
Doesn't science say that probability is that there is an advanced alien lifeforce out their though?
Isn't that what the church does?
I'm not sure what you meant by your first sentence, but whatever it is, it is creating 'bad'.
That this article so casual shares it with the world is a great sign that the whole thing was overblown.
Did anyone even care?
Care about what?
Himself? No.. it’s someone else’s fault..