Wallabies fullback Israel Folau’s Olympic hopes require big sacrifice

Wallabies fullback Israel Folau is eyeing yet another move in his career but a former teammate has laid down the sacrifice needed.

This would be a great sight at the Olympics.

Wallabies fullback Israel Folau is just one try away from equalling the all-time Super Rugby try scoring record but former teammate Drew Mitchell has called for him to “stand down” from the competition next year.

It comes after Folau revealed he wants a shot at an Olympic medal in Rugby Sevens and said participating in Tokyo would be “something special”.

It’s not an odd move for Folau who started in rugby league with the Brisbane Broncos before joining the GWS Giants in the AFL, before switching to rugby union, where he quickly became one of Australia’s best players.

Israel Folau is two tries short of the All-Time Super Rugby record.

The 29-year-old told The Daily Telegraph that the chance to become an Olympian would only come around once in a lifetime.

“If I could take that opportunity, I’m sure it’d be something to cherish and remember for the rest of your life,” he said on Thursday.

“There’s no doubt the experience would be unreal.

“I’d definitely want to put my hand up to see if that opportunity (arose).”

Folau signed a four-year deal with rugby to keep him in rugby until the end of 2022 and said he had not shared the idea with Rugby Australia bosses.

Folau is definitely an athlete who could make the switch after playing three Australian football codes, two representing the country.

But Mitchell said it would need to be Folau’s focus, taking him away from Super Rugby.

“The lure of the Olympics is a big one. I don’t think too many Rugby players would say straight up no – except maybe a few front rowers,” Mitchell said on Macquarie Sports Radio.

“I think for Israel he would have to stand down from Super Rugby next year for a period of time and get on the Sevens circuit, those guys are just different athletes to fifteen a side Rugby players.”

Mitchell said the Sevens game is completely different to the 15-a-side version and Folau will have to ply his trade on the tour to get up to pace.

He said the Olympic dream will be tested by the pure running required to compete.

“These guys are almost on par with middle distance athletes with the skill set of Rugby players, the game awareness of Rugby players and also that physicality as well,” Mitchell said.

Folau will have to do a lot more running according to Mitchell.

“The amount of kilometres they notch up through the week at training is absolutely unbelievable. Even on match day over the weekends in which they play they clock up some incredible amount in warm ups as well as in their games. And that ability to back up three times in a day is pretty tough.

“It would have to be a commitment to the Sevens not just for the Olympics, it would also have to be in the build up.

“These guys clock 1.8km in three times a day as well as the work they’re doing out in the field as well. It’s a tremendous amount of kilometres they’re getting in their legs back-to-back days on tournament days.”

When Folau signed with rugby, he said his aim was definitely the World Cup, which is set to start in Japan in September.

It will give Folau time to switch to Sevens with the 2020 Olympics starting July 24 2020.

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To prepare properly for the Olympics, Folau would need to take part in the 10-round Sevens World Series, which would mean he would miss most of next year’s Wallabies Tests and the entire the 2020 Super Rugby season with the Waratahs.

Rugby Sevens warm ups are up to 1.8kms before each game.

He will be 31 when the Tokyo Games take place and would need to consider the lessons from other top athletes who have struggled after switching to sevens in the quest for Olympic glory.

Rugby league star Jarryd Hayne was omitted from Fiji’s squad for Rio after failing to reach the high levels of aerobic fitness required for sevens.

All Black Sonny Bill Williams made it to Brazil even though he was never a dominant force in sevens, but ruptured an achilles tendon as New Zealand suffered a shock loss to Japan in his first match.

In seven seasons for NSW, Folau has scored 58 tries in his 91 games and sits one behind the all-time record Super Rugby record holder Kiwi Doug Howlett, who scored his 59 from 104 matches.

— with AFP