‘Nobody wanted to talk’: ‘Toxic’ Israel Folau truth nobody wants to hear
Sensational details from behind the scenes of the Israel Folau documentary have revealed a new twist to the never-ending scandal.
The Israel Folau scandal is not over.
That is one of the most obvious takeaways from the sensational ‘Folau’ documentary released by the ABC on Thursday night.
The explosive two-part series has attempted to find middle ground between the warring parties involved in the saga that divided the country.
Three years on from his termination, none of the central pieces on the chessboard as the drama played out want anything to do with it.
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Folau will in September return to the Rugby World Cup, this time representing Tonga, as his crazy, code-hoping career continues to spin.
The devoutly Christian full-back — part of the Wallabies team that lost the 2015 World Cup final to New Zealand — was sacked by Rugby Australia in 2019 for saying that “hell awaits” gay people and others he considers sinners in a post on social media.
Folau said last year he has “no regrets” about how the scandal played out.
His sacking by Rugby Australia sparked a backlash from supporters of free speech and religious expression.
Folau took the governing body to court for unfair dismissal, demanding $14 million in compensation under employment legislation that bans sacking someone because of their religious beliefs.
The case was settled out of court with Rugby Australia reported to have paid Folau $4 million and the player claiming he had been “vindicated”.
The new series, directed by Nel Minchin, was released this week after being mysteriously delayed by six months. The ABC has received a flurry of complaints on social media
The producers of the series have not hidden from the fact the 34-year-old former Wallabies star wanted nothing to do with the project and does not endorse it.
Former Rugby Australia boss Raelene Castle, who in 2019 announced Folau’s contract had been torn up by the governing body, also declined to be involved, it has now been revealed by Minchin.
Award-winning director Minchin this week told news.com.au many of the other high profile figures caught in the storm were invited to appear in the piece, but declined.
Minchin said she hopes to show the issue is not black and white and does not require people to identify with either of the two “camps”.
It is possible to conclude, however, that the Folau scandal itself has only driven both sides of the argument further apart rather than create an open dialogue.
“Ultimately, my goal for this film is to do the opposite to what people assume it will do,” she said.
“I hope it just makes people from both camps go, ‘I could have thought about that differently at the time’.”
She confirmed Castle was one of many people to have declined offers to tell their side of the story.
“Lots of people (didn’t want to appear on camera). It was actually quite a challenge to get people to talk on camera,” she said.
“That’s why I said the people who did showed a lot of courage. I think the issue itself – and I’m not blaming anyone specifically – but I think it’s such a toxic and such a polarised issue and I’ve had a lot of people say to me, ‘God, you’re brave, doing that as a film’. It’s interesting because the minute you say you’re doing that film then it instantly makes you sound like you’re taking a side.
“We approached teammates. We approached people from past teams. We approached people who had publicly come out in support or against, from Pacific communities. Nobody wanted to be on the record talking about it because of the media storm it’s created.”
The storm continues to rage.
The documentary includes eye-opening comments from Aussie star Samu Kerevi, who is hoping to earn a Wallabies re-call for the World Cup in France this year.
Former Wallabies coach Michael Cheika also opens up on how the Folau scandal ruined his final year in charge of the national team.
Wallabies legend Toutai Kefu and Folau’s former Mormon bishop Salesi Tupou are also featured.
Their views in the film are measured against LGBTQI voices, including former Wallaby prop Dan Palmer, actor Magda Szubanski and former pastor and human rights worker Andre Afamasaga.
The series also explores the dramatic moment the saga first tipped over the edge when Folau had reportedly been on the verge of accepting new contract terms and deleting his infamous social media post.
News Corp’s Jamie Pandaram, interviewed in the series, reveals new details of the phone call Folau received from his father Eni that changed everything.
When speaking to his father one final time before he was set to agree to the terms given by Rugby Australia in order to avoid having his contract torn up, the former AFL player was told, ‘You’ll go to hell, son’.
Folau returned from the phone conversation and refused to accept the terms.
Then all hell broke loose.