Australian rugby news: Israel Folau to join Japanese Top League, NTT Communications Shining Arcs

After launching legal action against the QRL and being released by his French rugby team, Israel Folau has made a stunning choice on where he will play next.

Christy Doran

2 min read

July 5, 2021 - 5:28PM

Israel Folau has joined the Japanese Top League. (AP Photo

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Two years after having his contract terminated by Rugby Australia, Israel Folau is back in the 15-person game.

The sacked Wallabies star has joined NTT Communications in the Japanese Top League, having signed a contract on Friday.

He will join the Japanese club in September and link up with sacked Waratahs coach Rob Penney, who has been announced as the Director of Rugby at the club. Former Wallaby Liam Gill is another Australian at the Japanese team.

It’s understood his contract is two years.

His contract is understood to be worth less than half of what he was earning at Rugby Australia, where he was on more than $1 million per season.

Israel Folau is heading to Japan to play rugby. Picture: AFP

Folau is under no uncertain terms in his contract that he will not post religious messages on his social media accounts.

He has not published on Instagram a religious post since August 1, 2019.

Folau will complete the season with the Southport Tigers in Gold Coast Rugby League A Grade before shipping out to Japan later this year.

A Palmer United Party spokesperson’s fiery reaction to the news was to label it ‘bulls---’, before cooling down when supplied a copy of the official release.

Folau is still yet to play a game for Southport after the recent Covid-19 lockdown postponed his debut apperance until this weekend coming.

Folau had been in conversations with multiple Japanese clubs for months.

His contract with the Shining Arcs was made complete after securing a contract release from the Catalans Dragons in rugby league last week.

It’s believed Folau was keen to remain in Australia and reignite his career in the NRL, but with that possibility unlikely his next best move was to join the mass exodus of rugby talent joining the Japanese Top League.

Clive Palmer and Israel Folau together on the Gold Coast. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

While he is eligible to play for the Wallabies under the current criteria of seven years service, 60 Test caps, he will not be picked to play.

But he could in fact play against Australian teams should Rugby Australia and New Zealand Rugby include Top League teams in a European Cup-style tournament, which pits the best of the teams against one another from different countries.

Rugby Australia and their Kiwi allies are yet to determine the Super Rugby structure for 2022, with COVID-19 interfering with their plans.

Ultimately, both Unions are keen on having Japanese involvement at the end of their Super Rugby seasons.

Folau’s sacking ranks as one of the messiest and ugliest in Australian sport, as it dragged out for close to a year and ultimately ended with the governing body settling for an undisclosed figure with the star fullback.

The 32-year-old, who along with current Wallabies captain Michael Hooper, is one of only two Australians to win the prestigious John Eales Medal three times.

Israel Folau during a media conference to announce he had joined the Tigers on the Gold Coast. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Tertius Pickard

But after his second controversial social media post in as many years, which followed a warning in 2018, Folau was sacked less than 48 hours after posting that homosexual people, along with a series of other groups including drunks and fornicators, were going to hell unless they repent.

While Folau did not have a social media clause in his contract, he gave assurances that he would not go against RA’s inclusive policy.

He did, and his sacking, which was reportedly worldwide, was a massive setback for Michael Cheika’s Wallabies World Cup campaign, where they eventually bombed out in the quarter-finals.

The Wallabies have yet to settle on a fullback consistently, with Tom Banks expected to wear the No.15 jersey on Wednesday when Dave Rennie’s side take on France in the first Test in Brisbane.