Israel Folau was given a blunt reality check by a rival rugby boss who was contacted about the possibility of signing the controversial star.
CEO of South African Super Rugby franchise the Bulls, Alfonso Meyer, revealed he was contacted to gauge his interest in recruiting the former Wallaby but said Folau is simply too controversial a figure to take a risk on.after he chased $14 million in compensation for what he claimed was wrongful termination when the governing body sacked him for saying on Instagram “hell awaits” gay people.
And while the fullback would still be a valuable asset to any team on the field, off it, he’s too much of a liability. Meyer said exactly that when discussing why the Bulls weren’t interested in pursuing Folau after being contacted by a lawyer. It’s unclear whether the lawyer was from the footy player’s camp or not, but regardless, Meyer’s view remained firm.
“I’m not sure if it is Folau’s lawyer, but a lawyer approached us to hear if we are interested in contracting him,” Meyer said in an interview with“Initially I was excited but if you look at this matter with a sober mind then it’s simply not worth the risk. He is controversial and you’ll expose yourself by contracting him.“He is probably amongst the top two or three players in the world. If it wasn’t for his comments, we would have given our all to have him in the group.
It’s impossible to imagine Folau ever playing rugby in Australia again and the NRL has said it won’t register a contract with him because of his stance on homosexuality, so if he wants to continue his career, then looking overseas is his best option.
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