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Number of players 'pray' on field for Israel Folau as support campaign steps up
By Online Editors
Australian Super Rugby players from the Melbourne Rebels and the Queensland Reds have huddled for a post-match prayer amid reports of anger among the game's Christians over the handling of the Israel Folau social media furore.
Wallabies fullback Folau, a fundamentalist Christian, moved a step closer to being sacked by Rugby Australia this week after he was found to have committed a "high-level" code of conduct breach for a post that said hell awaited "drunks, homosexuals, adulterers" and others.
The case has upset a number of Folau's Wallabies teammates who share his religious beliefs, with Reds prop Taniela Tupou writing that RA "might as well sack... all the other Pacific Islands rugby players around the world."
The Daily Telegraph reported earlier on Friday that Reds and Rebels players had proposed to gather for prayer on field at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium in a "show of solidarity" for Folau.
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Following the Rebels' 30-24 win over the Reds, players fr om both sides knelt on the pitch with arms locked in a circle as Reds hooker Brandon Paenga-Amosa addressed the group with emotion.
The huddle included a number of Australia players, including Queensland captain Samu Kerevi, his Reds team mate Sefa Naivalu and another Wallabies winger in Melbourne's Marika Koroibete.
Folau faced a three-member panel over three days of hearings.
The panel issued its verdict on Tuesday and said it would consider further submissions before issuing a sanction.
The judgement came more than three weeks after RA and Folau's Super Rugby club New South Wales Waratahs said they intended to terminate his four-year contract.
Folau has a right to appeal but a high-level breach would be sufficient for RA and the Waratahs to dismiss the 73-test back.
The offending post, which has attracted 54,000 'likes' and 48,000 comments, remains on Folau's Instagram page.
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We can all see this problem, eh? Love the clips showing how smart opposition coaches exploit it though. Thanks, Nick.
Borthwick has obviously earned the right to expect people to look elsewhere when the sort of personal problems likely at the heart of Jones' departure occur but it's hard to believe he's, if not entirely to blame, at least most of the problem.
England seem between choices in every aspect of their play to me right now
Go to commentsBM My rugby fanaticism journey began as a youngster waking up in the early hours of the morning with a cup of coffee to watch the Boks play the ABs on that 1981 rebel tour, where we lost the last game in the dying seconds to a penalty, and ended up losing the series 2-1. Danie Gerber, Naas Botha, Ray Mordt, and DuPlessis, to name a few; what a team! I believe we could've won another World Cup with those boys playing in their prime.
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