Rugby Australia takes no immediate action against Israel Folau

Rugby Australia has taken no immediate action against Israel Folau over his anti-gay social media posts during crisis talks.

Israel Folau at Moore Park.

Rugby Australia has taken no immediate action against Israel Folau over his anti-gay social media posts during a crisis meeting with the star player this afternoon.

RA chief executive Raelene Castle and Waratahs boss Andrew Hore had a calm and productive first meeting with Folau and made it known that they want to keep him in the game. But they also alerted him that his anti-gay posts on social media are at odds with RA’s inclusion policy.

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Ms Castle described the talks as honest but just the start of a process, with no outcome decided and no commitment yet from Folau to tone down his social media views.

Ms Castle said Folau conceded he could have conveyed his religious views on gay people in a more positive manner.

Ms Castle and Mr Hore met with Folau and his manager Isaac Moses this afternoon at rugby headquarters at Sydney’s Moore Park, amid the veiled threat of sponsors such as Qantas, Asics and Land Rover withdrawing their support if Folau continues to write what they consider to be homophobic comments.

Folau emerged from the meeting and while he did not give a commitment that he would stop posting anti-gay comments in future, he said he would think about it.

Ms Castle indicated that the meeting would not be the end of her dialogue with Folau and said rugby was anxious to re-sign Folau, whose contract is up for renegotiation this year.

NRL clubs are believed to be circling to take advantage of any Folau disenchantment with rugby but may not be able to afford him.

Folau wrote on social media last week that gays would go to hell unless they repented their sins. He tweeted again on Sunday, using a Bible quote from Matthew 5 to suggest he was being persecuted for his beliefs.

“Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake,” he wrote. “Rejoice and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.”

After Qantas said it was “very disappointed’’ in Folau, Land Rover, which has an $850,000 sponsorship deal with Rugby Australia, confirmed its marketing director Kevin Nicholls had told the game’s administrators at the weekend that Folau’s views “did not match our brand values”. A spokesman said the discussion was “the only action” taken.

While RA issued no ultimatums to Folau it has been backed into a corner with the code’s sponsors as a result of his comments.

Religious leaders have backed the right of Folau to express his view. Glenn Davies, the Anglican Archbishop of Sydney, said the way Folau was treated would be a test of Australian Rugby’s ­inclusion policy. “Israel Folau should be free to hold and express traditional, biblical views on marriage and sexuality without being penalised, just as other players have spoken out with their differing views,” he said.

Former human rights commissioner and now federal Liberal MP Tim Wilson suggested companies and individuals lashing out at Folau “take a chill pill”. “Respecting diversity includes ­diversity of opinion, including on questions of morality,” he said.