Exiled rugby player Israel Folau has made a surprising reappearance with several members of the Australian rugby union squad.
It comes six years after he was axed by the Wallabies for posting a shocking homophobic post on his Instagram account.
The 36-year-old outside back, who left Australia to play union for Japanese side Urayasu D-Rocks in 2021, was seen posing for a photo with star centre Joseph-Aukuso Sua’ali’i and several other D-Rocks players. The image was later published on the Wallabies’ official Instagram account.
Folau’s team-mate and ex-Wallabies star Samu Kerevi, who toured with Joe Schmidt’s side to Europe last year, was also seen posing for snaps with his Wallabies mates, Max Jorgensen and Lukhan Salakaia-Loto.
The Wallabies are currently hard at work preparing for their upcoming match against Japan this Saturday in Tokyo, ahead of their game against England on November 1.
And the national side called in this week to use the D-Rocks’ facilities in Chiba, with Folau and his team-mates, catching up with several members of the Wallabies side.
Israel Folau has made a surprising re-appearance at a Wallabies training camp in Japan (pictured with his wife Maria)
Folau was axed by the Wallabies but was compensated with an undisclosed settlement for a homophobic social media post he made on his Instagram account back in 2019
It is a surprise to see Folau pop back up on the Wallabies’ Instagram feed after so long, but it could also be an indication that both parties are willing to move on from previous disagreements between them.
The cross-code hopping fullback began his professional sporting career playing rugby league in Australia, before stunning many in Australia back in 2010, by leaving the Brisbane Broncos to pursue a career in the AFL with GWS Giants.
He’d spend a year at the footy club between 2011 and 2012 before leaving and subsequently turning his hand to rugby union in 2013.
Folau asserted himself as a dominant attacking force through the middle of the Waratahs’ backline and was quickly drafted into the Wallabies squad to play against the British and Irish Lions for their 2013 tour Down Under. He’d go on to score 30 tries across 63 appearances during his international career before being axed in 2019.
The 36-year-old left many outraged after the devout Christian published a message on his Instagram that said: ‘hell awaits’ homosexuals and adulterers.
At the time, Folau, who has since nominated Tonga as his international team, was reportedly on a $5million contract. He was also dropped by sponsors Asics after publishing the social media message, but sought to challenge Rugby Australia over the termination of his lucrative deal, adding that he was not sorry for the explosive comment.
‘Absolutely not,’ he said when asked if the fallout from the matter has made him reconsider his comments.
‘I’ll stand on what the Bible says. I’ll share it with love.’
Folau, a devout Christian, has since continued his rugby career, going on to play in Japan
In the past year, the 36-year-old has made it clear that he would relish an opportunity to return to play footy in Australia for the Wallabies or an Aussie side, despite now having pledged his allegiance to Tonga
Folau is understood to have later received an apology from Rugby Australia as well as a confidential settlement, with the former Wallabies star said to have initially sought around $14m in damages.
Earlier this year, Folau had made a stunning plot to seek a return to playing rugby in Australia for the British and Irish Lions tour.
The 36-year-old fullback threw his name into the hat to make a comeback as part of the AUNZ XV to face off against the Lions in July.
‘If I was to get given that opportunity, it would be an awesome opportunity to play with guys that you used to play against, obviously the All Blacks, they’re world-class players,’ Folau told News Corp.
‘I’ve always been proud of being able to put that gold jersey on to represent the Wallabies. I was fortunate enough to do it for a very long time.
‘And I’ve got nothing negative against what’s happened in the past. I still love the game over there.
‘I enjoy the supporters and the fans. And if this was an opportunity that came about, it would be very exciting to play in front of Aussie supporters again.’
After declaring for Tonga, Folau would have required a special dispensation to play for the AUNZ side or the Wallabies during the tour.
The cross-code player would go on to play rugby league, rugby union and interestingly made the jump to play for GWS Giants in the AFL back in 2012
He criticised Rugby Australia chief Phil Waugh (pictured) who extinguished talk of Folau potentially playing some part in this year’s Lions Tour
However, Rugby Australia chief Phil Waugh quickly extinguished talk of Folau returning to the side, something that the former Waratahs fullback was ‘disappointed’ by.
It came after Waugh had previously stated that he would like to clear the air with Folau after his Wallabies sacking in 2019.
‘I just wanted to address a couple of things in regards to a few media articles that have been floating around the past week in relation to me playing in this Anzac v Lions game later this year and how this all came about,’ his clip began.
‘I was contacted last week by Jamie Pandaram, and he was in conversations with Phil Waugh…..and Phil had told him that he was open to the idea of me being involved in this game if I was interested in that.
‘And so Jamie reached out to a good friend of mine – [former Wallaby] Sekope Kepu – and told him the same thing and made the connection between myself and Jamie.
‘I did the interview last week and told him that I was definitely interested in that opportunity, as I think anyone would in my position.
‘Being a professional rugby player, these opportunities don’t come around too often and so I told him I was very interested. If I was fit and selected, it was a game that I’d love to be a part of.
‘But recently Phil has come out and shut that down completely for whatever reason and said that I was not eligible to play this game nor was there any discussions around me being involved in this game as well.
‘So, look, I’m very disappointed with those comments, particularly after what I was told by Jamie and the conversations he had with Phil.
‘It’s disappointing from my point of view; otherwise, I wouldn’t have put myself, I guess, in this position. But you know, it is what it is and I just wanted to address that.’
