Israel Folau to make rugby return amid Lions snubbing

Israel Folau will make his first appearance in nearly three months this weekend when he lines up for Urayasu D-Rocks against Yokohama Eagles in Japan Rugby League One.

The 36-year-old’s return to action comes in the same week Rugby Australia ruled him out of playing in this year’s invitational fixture against the British & Irish Lions.

Chief executive Phil Waugh confirmed that Folau – as a Tonga player – is ineligible. The news ends any prospect of a high-profile return in the combined Australia–New Zealand XV.

Folau’s immediate attention will now turn to helping bottom-placed Urayasu avoid Japan Rugby League One relegation.

This weekend’s game will be his first outing since January 11 as he has missed much of the season through injury. The match also features former Wallabies teammate Samu Kerevi, who continues to press for national selection ahead of the Lions series.

The injury plagued Folau has made only 12 appearances across three seasons in Japan, despite a prolific debut campaign in which he scored 10 tries.

He last played for the Wallabies in 2018 before being sacked by Rugby Australia in 2019 for a code-of-conduct breach. He later represented Tonga following a change to international eligibility rules.

The 36-year-old is disappointed that he won’t be involved in game against the Lions in Melbourne.

“I just wanted to address a couple of things in regards to a few media articles that have been floating around the past week in relation to me playing in this Anzac v Lions game later this year and how this all came about,” Folau said after taking to Instagram, explaining that a Newcorp journalist had reached out through former Wallaby Sekope Kepu to gauge his interest, leading to a direct conversation in which he confirmed he was keen to be involved.

“…he [the journalist] was in conversations with Phil Waugh, and Phil had told him that he was open to the idea of me being involved in this game if I was interested in that.

“Being a professional rugby player, these opportunities don’t come around too often and so I told him I was very interested. If I was fit and selected, it was a game that I’d love to be a part of.

“But recently Phil has come out and shut that down completely for whatever reason and said that I was not eligible to play this game nor was there any discussions around me being involved in this game as well.”

He said he was disapointed around Waugh’s comments, which clarified that Folau was ineligible.

“It’s disappointing from my point of view, otherwise, I wouldn’t have put myself, I guess, in this position. But you know, it is what it is and I just wanted to address that and I wanted to wish Rugby Australia and Phil Waugh all the best and all the success for the remainder of the season.”