LONDON – Rugby Australia (RA) has declined to sanction Israel Folau over his anti-gay comments last week and will instead continue a dialogue with the Wallabies back over his use of social media.
RA chief executive Raelene Castle and Andrew Hore, the CEO of Folau’s Super Rugby team New South Wales Waratahs, met with the player in Sydney yesterday.
The meeting was arranged after the player wrote on social media last week that gays would be condemned to “hell” if they failed to “repent”.
Castle said Folau acknowledged he had caused “grief to some people” but she declined to comment on whether he had agreed to tone down his views in his social media posts.
“Israel has presented his situation to us, where his views are, where his beliefs are,” Castle said.
“But at the same time Rugby Australia has also got a policy and a position of inclusion and using social media with respect.
“Now both of us are going to go away and continue that dialogue, and work through how we continue to use how our social media platforms in a way that can ensure that all of our stakeholders are respected in the use of social media.”