Six years after his controversial exit from Australian rugby, Israel Folau has publicly staked his claim for a shock recall to face the British & Irish Lions during their highly anticipated July tour.
The 34-year-old dual-code star, now playing in Japan with the Urayasu D-Rocks, confirmed his desire to join the combined Australia-New Zealand XV side, a move that would cap one of the sport’s most polarizing redemption arcs.
The former Wallabies star has sensationally gone public with his hopes of ending a six-year exile from playing rugby in Australia after his bombshell lawsuit against Rugby Australia (RA) in 2019.
The former Waratahs fullback settled his wrongful dismissal lawsuit against his former employer out of court for an undisclosed amount. According to reports at the time Folau had been seeking $14 million in compensation after the governing body tore up his contract for an Instagram post in April, 2019, in which the dual-code international said “hell awaits” gay people.
Fox Sports reported that he reportedly walked away with $5 million. The case divided the country.
Folau has repeatedly said he has no regrets about the Instagram post, which many found offensive.
Now one of the most famous scandals in Australian sport has twisted again with Folau sharing his dreams of playing for an Australian invitational team to face the British and Irish Lions on July 12 at the Adelaide Oval.
“If I do get the opportunity to play and my kids and my wife get to witness that, it would be definitely pretty special,” he said.
According to Code Sports, Folau will need special clearance to be eligible for selection because he switched his allegiance to Tonga in 2022 after being blacklisted by Rugby Australia.
According to the report, the British and Irish Lions will also need to tick off his selection — if it eventuates.
