Talks break down in Folau’s legal showdown over homophobic post
Sacked rugby player Israel Folau’s unfair dismissal talks with Rugby Australia over his anti-gay comments have collapsed.
Talks have collapsed between Israel Folau and Rugby Australia over his sacking for anti-gay comments with the stoush now destined for the Federal Court.
The former Wallaby said he was “feeling good” as he arrived at the Fair Work Commission in Sydney, where he repeated his demand for an apology from the governing body over what he believes is religious discrimination.
Stopping traffic in a media scrum, Folau smiled as one punter told him: “God goes with you brother, I’ve been praying for you.”
The 30-year-old left RA fuming on Thursday night with explosive claims they offered him cash to delete his controversial social media post saying hell awaits unrepentant homosexuals.
RA accused Folau of lying before he faced off with boss Raelene Castle and Waratahs chief Andrew Hore on Friday - the first time since his $5 million contract was torn up for breaching the terms of the deal.
But a four-hour private conciliation conference failed to break the deadlock and Folau emerged from the high-stakes legal showdown saying he was “very, very disappointed with the outcome.”
“I’d like to thank all those who have supported me throughout this time to stand up for freedom of speech,” he told reporters.
“I will continue to stand up for the freedoms of all Australians.”
Folau’s solicitor George Haros added “unless things change” they’ll take the fight all the way to the Federal Court in a bid to win nearly $10 million for his contract and lost future earnings.
In a statement, RA and NSW Rugby Union said they too were “incredibly disappointed” that a resolution couldn’t be reached.
“We remain confident in our processes and will continue to do what is required to defend the values that underpin our game,” they said.
The fullback argues RA had no legal grounds to sack him, insisting that his offending April 10 Instagram post that targeted homosexuals, adulterers and other sinners “came from a place of love”.
“Even if they disagree with my views I should be free to peacefully express my religious beliefs without fear of retribution or exclusion,” Folau said in a YouTube video posted on Friday.
“Australia is such an amazing, multicultural country. I know we are strong enough to tolerate different views without firing people from their jobs.”
However Castle insists Folau’s case is not about religious freedom, but a simple breach of contract.
Folau’s contract was not unlawfully terminated because he was found by an independent tribunal panel to have made multiple and serious violations of the Professional Players Code of Conduct, she said.
With the help of the Australian Christian Lobby, Folau has sourced $2.2 million from donors backing his cause.
That war chest was created on Tuesday after crowdfunding platform GoFundMe suspended Folau’s first fundraising campaign citing a breach of its terms of service.
The star player took no interest in settlement offers made by RA before and during his code of conduct hearing, the largest of which was close to $2 million.
Dees’ Oliver, Trac bungles putting off prospective trade targets
Melbourne’s handling of Clayton Oliver and Christian Petracca is making it harder to recruit big names to the club, after years of being able to land big names like Steven May and Jake Lever.
Revealed: QLD All Schools Touch top performers
The world’s largest touch football tournament has wrapped up on the Gold Coast after five days of competition across seven divisions. Discover who claimed gold, and the 80+ standouts across the board. Details inside: