Israel Folau bombarded with 'gay pornography' after joining team Whats App group

Former Wallaby fullback Israel Folau was 'bombarded with gay pornography' after joining his team's Whats App group, according to one rugby league coach.

A devout Christian, Folau and Rugby Australia parted company after a lengthy legal row over alleged homophobic social media posts that ultimately ended in the union coughing up a mullti-million dollar payout for the star. He ended up back in league with Super League's Catalan Dragons, where at least one teammate was eager to prank him over his views.

In an interview on SEN 1170, a sports station broadcasting in Sydney, league coach Andrew Webster told Matty Johns that Australian league player James Maloney, a teammate of Folau's at Catalan, was quick to roast the former Wallaby when he joined the team's Whats App group.

“When [Folau] first joined Catalans, he joined the players’ WhatsApp group,” Webster told SEN1170 Radio. “And Jimmy Maloney, God love him, couldn’t help himself and started bombarding him with gay pornography.”

Whats App pranks aside, speculation continues to mount about the player's next move and whether he'll return to rugby union or stay in league. Two days ago NRL side St George Illawarra Dragons said they had ceased in bid to sign the star from their Catalan namesakes, stating: "While the Dragons did enquire about signing Folau, the club can confirm that such discussions have now ceased. The Dragons will make no further comment."

Last month Midi Olympique reported that the former Wallaby superstar, who was rumoured to have declined an approach by Montpellier Herault last year, is coming to the end of his Dragons contract, sparking fresh interest in French rugby union circles.

According to Midi, Folau had piqued the interest of Bayonne in recent times, but that old faithful Toulon were now interested in luring the star back to the fifteen man code.

Folau shone for the Catan Dragons in Super League, hitting the ground running in Perpignan, where he required just six minutes to score a try on his debut. However, his return was stopped in its tracks by the season-suspending coronavirus pandemic.