Israel Folau Strife– Past, Present, & the Future

Over the years, we have seen some of the greatest moments in Rugby history take place during the World Cup. Similarly, we have also seen some pretty exciting controversies emerged out of nowhere. From the tragic “Spoiled Milk Incident” to the 2011 World Cup’s dwarf-tossing episode, we have assumed to have seen them all, until Israel Folau happened.

So, with the RWC 2019 coming up, we thought this would be the perfect time to give you an overview of everything that is happening regarding the Australian Rugby player, Israel Folau and his international career.

What Started It All

If you follow Israel on social media, you already know that he loves to talk about religion and give his views on some pretty taboo topics. However, on April 10, 2019, he posted an image which stated:

This sparked outrage among not only his fans but the entire Australian population. So, much, so that it even got international attention. Now, for some, this was normal as they were used to hearing similar rant from Israel, but for the majority, this was crossing the limit. This wasn’t the usual free speech, religious talk that fans were used to hear from Israel; this is dwelling more towards hate speech.

Because of this, the rugby player made the headlines for spewing hate speech online. And since the Rugby World Cup 2019 is just around the corner, the Australia Rugby team didn’t want any unwanted attention, which is why Israel’s contract was terminated. Now, one might assume that this would settle down things, but this led to more significant controversy.

Where We Are Now

As radical as the post made by Israel was, it was still free speech which led to the player suing his previous employers, Rugby Australian and the NSW Waratahs for unfair dismissal. This came after both parties failed to reach an agreement during a mediation at the Fair Work Commission on June 28, 2019.

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Israel stated, “Unfortunately, our conciliation before the Fair Work Commission did not resolve the matters between us, and I have been left with no choice but to commence court action.” Now, the player plans on suing the opposing side for $10 million in damages and a reinstatement of his million-dollar contract.

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Furthermore, it seems now the Australians have moved over to Israel’s side as they believe the actions taken were too harsh. As a result, a GoFundMe page has been set up to aid Israel and his legal battle against Rugby Australia. The page currently sits at a whopping $2.2 million.

What To Expect

The current situation is that no one really knows what will happen. Either he will win the lawsuit and get his contract reinstated, or there will be no more Israel Folau in the upcoming 2019 Rugby World Cup. That being said, it seems there is a third option on the table, one which comes from not the Australian team but the one from Tonga.

So, apparently, Israel has Tongan heritage which means if his Australian contract does not get reinstated, there is a chance he can play with, and since they want him, this can be a right switch. The Tongan team’s coach, Toutai Kefu said that they would be keen on drafting him and having him play in the next Rugby World Cup which is going to take place in 2023.

Kefu further added, “We’d love to have him. The next World Cup he’d be available for us hopefully. It’s a long time away, so we’ll let the dust settle a bit after his most recent issues. We don’t even know if he’s going to play again. He hasn’t indicated where he is going, so we’ll wait until the dust settles and then look at those options.”

So, hopefully, this isn’t the last we’ll see of Israel Folau. What do you think? Do you think the action taken against him were too harsh, or were they justified? Let us know your opinion in the comments section below.