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Controversial ex-Wallabies star Israel Folau is set to return to rugby union after signing with Japanese club NTT Communications Shining Arcs.
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The Top League side announced Folau as one of six new player signings, and one new staff signing, ahead of the revamped 2022 season on Monday.
The acquisition of Folau comes shortly after the code-hopping star was granted a release from French rugby league club Catalans Dragons to play for the Southport Tigers in the amateur Gold Coast Rugby League Premiership.
Folau has been playing in his second rugby league stint since he was was sacked by Rugby Australia [RA] in 2019 over social media posts that were deemed discriminatory towards the LBGTQ+ community.
The 32-year-old’s high-profile dismissal from RA’s payroll was monumental at the time given his status within Australian rugby circles.
A veteran of 73 test caps and a Super Rugby title-winner with the Waratahs, Folau will provide NTT Communications with a wealth of experience, but his signing is also likely to bring with it plenty of scrutiny and backlash.
Formerly regarded as one of the game’s best fullbacks, Folau will be joined at NTT Communications by a raft of other new faces, including Blues pivot Otere Black.
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Blues head coach Leon MacDonald confirmed the 26-year-old first-five would leave the franchise to join a club in Japan shortly after the Blues claimed the inaugural Super Rugby Trans-Tasman title last month.
NTT Communications have now confirmed they are the club that Black, who starred in his final appearance for the Maori All Blacks during their 38-21 victory over Manu Samoa in Auckland on Saturday, has signed with.
The other new players signed by NTT Communications ahead of the 2022 season are Japan international James Moore, NEC Green Rockets lock Sam Jeffries, and Coca-Cola Red Sparks duo Brody Macaskill and Tone Tukufuka.
The Ichikawa-based side have also confirmed former Waratahs head coach Rob Penney will return to the club as director of rugby.
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Penney was fired by the Waratahs just six rounds into the second year of his three-season deal with the New South Wales franchise following their winless start to the campaign.
BREAKING: Israel Folau signs for NTT Comms.
Otere Black and James Moore among other new players,
Rob Penney returns as Director of Rugby. #rugbyjp pic.twitter.com/3EZgvmfvRt
— Rich Freeman (@FreemanrugbyJPN) July 5, 2021
Despite Penney’s sacking early in the season, the Waratahs went on to lose all 13 of their matches this year, with many leading rugby figures criticising the franchise for using Penney as a scapegoat for the organisation’s shortcomings.
Having previously been the head coach of Muster, Canterbury, the New Zealand U20 side and the Shining Arcs, Penney will have plenty to offer in his new role in Japan.
NTT Communications finished fourth in their conference during the 2021 Top League season before being eliminated from the competition by the Canon Eagles in the second round of the play-offs.
The Top League is set to undergo a significant revamp for the 2022 season as it prepares to become a three-tiered, fully professional competition.
Comments on RugbyPass
Hi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
3 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
3 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
41 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
57 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to commentsResults probably skewed by the fact that a few clubs have foreign fly halves in their 30s, but most teams have young English scrum halves. Results also likely to be skewed by the fact that many teams rely on centres and fullbacks to provide depth at 10, whereas they will need to stock a large number of specialist backup 9s.
1 Go to commentsI really get the sense that when all is said and done, the path of least resistance will end up being a merger of Wasps & Worcester that essentially kills the Worcester Warriors brand and sees Wasps permanently playing at Sixways. I’m not saying that’s what should happen or what I want to happen. I just think it’s the easiest rout to take and therefore, will be what happens. Wasps will definitely return to play first, and I suppose it all depends on if they can find support at Sixways. If people turn up and support Wasps in that community, at that ground, I bet they drop the Sevenoaks plan and just remain at Sixways. Under the radar but not totally unrelated, it looks as though London Irish are going to be brought back from the dead by a German consortium and look set to return, likely to the remade Championship. It’s set to have 12 clubs next season with 14 in 2025/26, what do you want to bet those extra 2 are Wasps and London Irish?
3 Go to commentsThe shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to commentsBold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
3 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to comments