Israel Folau: Catalans Dragons consider legal action after he agrees to join amateur team
- Published
Folau held a news conference in Brisbane on Friday with mining magnate Clive Palmer
Catalans Dragons are considering legal action after dual-code international Israel Folau agreed to join an amateur rugby league team in Australia.
Rugby Australia sacked Folau, 32, in 2019 for making homophobic comments and he returned to rugby league in 2020.
Folau signed an extension with Catalans for 2021, but now wants to play for the Southport Tigers in Queensland, backed by billionaire Clive Palmer.
"My commitment to ensure Israel Folau can play again is rock solid," he said.
"I would pledge every cent, every dollar, and every waking moment of my time to ensure that he takes the field again."
Catalans 'still ambitious to get Izzy to return'
Catalans are considering taking legal action, with the French side's football manager Alex Chan "shocked" by news of Folau's bid to make a playing return to Australia.
At the start of 2021, the Super League club granted Folau compassionate leave after a close family member fell seriously ill and although they prepared for the season without him, Chan says they hoped he would return later in the year.
"We've given Israel and his family time to get back together and make sure that everything is going good," said Chan. "But we still hold his contract, he's still a registered player with Catalans Dragons.
"I've got to meet with the club president and our directors but I've already made our legal team aware of the situation that is starting to unfold.
"We're still ambitious to get Izzy to return to France and pick up the season with us."
The St George Illawarra Dragions unsuccessfully applied to the National Rugby League for permission to sign Folau in February.
Now he hopes to play in the Gold Coast amateur competition for the Southport Tigers, where two of his brothers play.
A fundamentalist Christian, Folau posted a meme on social media in April 2019 which said that "hell awaits" gay people, among others.
Asked about the post on Friday, Folau said he stood by "the Bible and what the Bible says, every written word that's written in that book, I stand by that and that's all I'll say about that.
"At the moment, I'm just excited about joining Southport and playing alongside my brothers," he added. "That's something I've never done in my career."
Folau played in the NRL for Melbourne Storm and the Brisbane Broncos from 2007-10, before switching to Aussie rules and then rugby union.