English backrower Billy Vunipola booed for supporting Israel Folau’s controversial anti-gay comments

The Waratahs are preparing for a media grilling after being left in the lurch by Israel Folau while England Test backrower Billy Vunipola has been booed after being caught up in the Izzy drama.

England Test backrower Billy Vunipola has been relentlessly jeered by spectators after being caught up in the collateral damage from Israel Folau’s homophobic social media postings.

While Folau has been ducking and weaving ever since he dropped his bombshell, he’s left everyone else in the lurch as the fallout reverberates across the rugby world.

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Israel Folau has refused to apologise for his social media post.

Vunipola is now facing a please explain from English officials who were unimpressed by his Instagram posts expressing support for Folau.

He has already been dropped from his role with an English television network commentating on European rugby and could face further repercussions, including a possible suspension.

Billy Vunipola has come under attack for his support of Israel Folau.

Widely regarded as one of the most likeable and popular players in the England team and a key part of Eddie Jones’ World Cup plans, Vunipola has been taken aback by the public’s wrath, including being booed every time he touched the ball while paying for Saracens on the weekend.

When the game finished, the opposing team Bristol blasted the 1980s dance-hit “It’s Raining Men” by the Weather Girls over the public address system while the club’s official Twitter account featured two rainbow emojis on one of its postings.

On Monday, it’ll be the Waratahs turn under the blowtorch when head coach Daryl Gibson and his players are grilled by media at the team’s training facilities in suburban Sydney.

With the Waratahs struggling to get their season back on track after two successive losses, Folau hasn’t done his teammates any favours as they prepare for next Saturday’s crunch showdown with the Melbourne Rebels.

Not only is the all-time Super Rugby tryscorer banned from playing or training while awaiting his code of conduct hearing, he’s created a major distraction to their preparations by leaving the Waratahs to answer the questions he won’t address himself.

It’s not just the Waratahs and the Wallabies that could be left to rue Folau’s absence.

He had also emerged as possible saviour to the national sevens team hoping to win gold at next year’s Tokyo Olympics.

In his last exclusive interview before plunging himself in hot water, Folau told The Daily Telegraph he was considering making himself available to represent Australia at the Olympics.

Folau said the chance to compete in the biggest multi-sports event in the world was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that would be too good to resist and that message didn’t go unnoticed.

Desperate for a player that could give his team a much needed X-factor, the Australian Sevens coach Tim Walsh had hoped to speak with Folau after this year’s World Cup to see if he was serious and was open to finding a compromise that would allow him to fulfil his duties to the 15-man games and also play Sevens.

Israel Folau is not welcome at the Waratahs anymore.

Those plans are now dead in the water, leaving the Australian team looking for another possible star recruit to boost their side after struggling during this year’s World Series Sevens.

After losing to England in the quarter-finals in Singapore on Sunday, Australia no longer has any chance of qualifying automatically for Tokyo so will have go through the Oceania regional qualifiers.