Conciliation fails - Israel Folau is heading to court
NZ Herald and news.com.au
Israel Folau and Rugby Australia failed to reach an agreement in today’s conciliation meeting at the Fair Work Commission in Sydney.
Leaving the building shortly after 1pm alongside his legal team, Folau said he was “very disappointed” in the result.
“Look, we’re very, very disappointed about the outcome today,” he said.
“But I’d like to thank all those who supported me in this time and I’ll continue to stand up for the freedom of all Australians.”
“It appears as though, unless things change, then we will be heading for court,” Folau’s lawyer George Haros told reporters.
Folau’s dispute with the governing body of rugby will now proceed to a formal hearing.
Rugby Australia CEO Raelene Castle avoided the media, taking the lift down to her car and driving off as soon as the meeting finished.
Folau’s team pushed through the throng of reporters at the front, eventually reaching two hire cars, a sleek black Mercedes van and a Holden Caprice.
Not realising the vehicles were waiting for him, Folau started to power down William Street, but was quickly called back by his lawyer.
The football star arrived in a taxi with his legal team minutes before his conciliation hearing was due to start, dressed in a black suit, buttondown shirt and red tie.
Forced to negotiate a heavy media scrum and with nowhere to park, the Wallabies full-back was forced to pull back as his taxi sped up William Street away from the entrance to the building.
After sitting in the taxi for a few minutes, Folau and his team left the vehicle and began the walk back down the hill. Naturally, they were immediately surrounded by cameras and reporters.
“I’m hoping for an apology. I’d be happy with that,” Folau told journalists on his way to the entrance.
The sacked football star cracked a brief smile when a morning commuter told him he was praying for him.
“God goes with you brother,” the man said, before walking away.
“Thanks mate,” Folau replied, looking back and smiling.
Folau came through the building’s front entry, stopping traffic as his taxi navigated Sydney’s peak hour.
Ms Castle again decided to avoid reporters and enter quietly through the building’s back entrance, parking beneath the Fair Work Commission.
News.com.au understands the building rostered on extra security guards today as a precaution for Folau’s high profile conciliation meeting. Those guards refused reporters entry to the venue.
As the football star and his legal team piled into the building’s lift, Folau turned and faced the cameras for a final time and let out a relieved laugh before the doors shut.
Level 14, where the meeting is taking place, is under such high security that it cannot be reached without a special pass.
A curious bystander, questioning why a media scrum was sitting on a Sydney street, joked he could hire Folau if the fired football star was looking for a job.
“I manage a cafe nearby, he can bring his resume into me if he wants to,” he said.
The public debate over Folau’s conduct and Rugby Australia’s decision to terminate his contract has intensified over the past week after the sacked rugby player asked Australians to fund his case.
Now the venue for that argument is finally shifting from the media to the legal system.
Folau has lodged a claim of unfair dismissal with the Fair Work Commission, seeking $10 million in compensation. Half of that is to cover his lost salary, with the other half accounting for damages and lost earning opportunities, such as sponsorships.
He argues he was fired for expressing his religious beliefs. Rugby Australia says it tore up his contract for violating its code of conduct.
This article originally appeared on nzherald.co.nz and is republished with permission.
Comments on RugbyPass
Nice article. Shades of Steinbeck. They can win the final if they take the game seriously; but only if they take it seriously.
1 Go to commentsWhat a sad way to end a glittering career. Somebody should tell him to delete his social media accounts and face the consequences of what he's done. Then he should slip away quietly into obscurity. This isn't likely to happen, something tells me he'll be back in The Sun / Daily Mail sooner rather than later.
3 Go to commentsguys its fine! he understands why he did what he did and has taken accountability for it; why should he have to be accountable to a court? after all he did was abuse people in person - its not as if he was engaging in _online_ abuse!
3 Go to commentsChiefs flanker Kaylum Boshier yellow-carded for collapsing the scrum as it rolled towards the line. It was a maul….
1 Go to commentsyou know, i’m a leinster fan so I want Northampton to lose and it is gonna be tuff with Cortney lawes, Alex michell and the other guys🏉 lets go leinster🏉
1 Go to commentsWelcome to the Pro ranks. Those hard teams of old do hit the sole better though. its a dog fight at the top.
6 Go to commentsCan someone fill me in please, I've read a number of Ben Smith articles now and it seems he's got something again South Africa? Surely, this game was over and done with 7 months ago. Can't we have something a bit more interesting and relevant, or is this the calibre of journalist on this site?
228 Go to commentsNot sure what the Welsh are moaning about. They’ve had far more players off England, than England have had off Wales. Guys like Josh Hathaway and Kane James will play for Wales in the end. And they’ll be fsr better players for having played in the Gallagher Premiership, than they ever would have been had they stayed mired in the shambles that is Welsh rugby.
3 Go to commentsThis is all being blown totally out of proportion. First of all, since half the Irish team isn’t Irish - it’s very likely that none of the Irish players said that at all and, thus, we’re not being arrogant. Second, since half the Irish team is Kiwi - it’s very likely the Kiwi players were predicting a NZ SA World Cup final. Which they got spot on. Good on them!
163 Go to commentsAha. An Irishman with logic! Follow the flow: - Ireland peaks with a >80% win record between 2020 and 2023. And then… - crashes out of another QF at the WC; - Beat a poor French Team; - Beat 6N wooden spoonists Italy; - Play shite against eventual wooden spoonists Wales; - Lose against the most boring, “the worst English team ever” , a team widely regarded as unable to attack; - scrape through against Scotland. This article, No - Trimble, is on the money! Except for one glaring statement: _The Springboks have a few aces in the hole in this debate being the reigning world champions and official world number ones_ There is no debate, boys and girls. There it is. In black and white. “Reigning World Champions and OFFICIAL world number ones”. Come July, the overrated Andy Farrell and this overhyped team are going to enter into a world of hurt.
86 Go to commentsI’d like to know what homoerotic events Daniel enjoyed at 8th man. I clearly missed out!
19 Go to commentsThis article is missing some detail, like some actual context or info about what led to him abusing the ref.
2 Go to comments*They used to say that football is a gentleman sport watched by hooligans and rugby is a hooligan sport watched by gentlemen. How times have changed.*
3 Go to commentsexcept ot wasnt late wasnt late at all so dont know why you all saying its late he commits early and its your fault fir not paying attention
30 Go to commentsNot sure the Bulls need another average utility back in their ranks. Chamberlain has been ok for the Sharks but is by no means an X-Factor player. Bulls bought several utility backs which they barely use. A typical example would be Henry Immelman who plays mostly Fullback. The Bulls however have rarely played him this year and he has played wing or centre. Bulls want to build depth but seems like they have too many surplus players
1 Go to commentsABs lost against a side playing without a hooker - The guy playing, had one shoulder. Line outs were a gimme for the ABs, and the last 8 minutes 14 played 14 against a team that had been smashed 3 weeks in a row… Yet with all that possession, with all that territory, with all the advantages they actually had, especially in the last 8 minutes, they couldn’t buy a point. Those last 8 minutes determined if they outplayed the Boks or not. History will show that the Boks completely outplayed the ABs, especially in those last 8 minutes, the business end of any rugby match
228 Go to commentsWould’ve, could’ve, should’ve, didn’t.
228 Go to commentsKok will become a fan favourite
1 Go to commentsI am really looking forward to Leigh Halfpenny playing his first Super rugby game for the Crusaders Playing a long side his former Welsh and Scarlets team mate Johnny McNicoll.Johnny has been playing great, back in a Crusaders jersey.The attack has strengthened big time. Also looking forward to David Havili at 10. David is a class act, it also allows Dallas McLeod to remain at 12. A good thing.
1 Go to commentsIf he had stopped insisting on playing in the backrow, instead of wing, where everyone told him he should, he would have been a Bok years ago….
11 Go to comments