Top Wallabies reveal Israel Folau drama split their World Cup squad
The Israel Folau controversy split the Wallabies’ World Cup camp and even led to a player boycotting a pre-tournament camp, according to court documents.
The Daily Telegraph obtained the documents that show 110-test forward Sekope Kepu refused to attend a Wallaby camp in protest at what he saw as the marginalisation of Pacific Island players.
Kepu also claims he was barred from a New South Wales Waratahs media session because of fears he would back Folau.
Continue reading below…
Kepu and star back Samu Kerevi filed affidavits in November backing Folau in his wrongful termination case against Rugby Australia.
They show Kepu as writing: “My perception was that the media was briefed to approach people who would toe the ‘anti-Israel’ line and were discouraged from approaching potential Israel’s supporters (including Christian players).
“The Wallabies’ next camp after Israel’s posts in April 2019 was in around July 2019, before our Rugby Championship matches that year. I did not attend the camp.
“This was because I was so upset about the way in which management had handled Israel’s situation that I didn’t think it would be a good thing for me to attend.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/B8glFX8gAPV/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Kerevi stated: “It seemed to me that Israel was being sacked for simply expressing his faith. I found that very difficult to square up with the way others had been treated.
“It seemed to me that most types of conduct could easily be forgiven by management, but that conduct involving religion was different. All this made it difficult for me to counsel the more junior players in the locker room. At the time I wanted to support Israel publicly.
“I couldn’t because the players (including me) were told by management not to comment on the issue.”
However Laura Ryan, who was the Waratahs media manager at the time, says Kepu chose not to do the interview.
The Telegraph report states: “Kepu said he took his concerns about team division and the marginalisation of Christian players to RA chief Raelene Castle, Wallabies coach Michael Cheika, NSW coach Daryl Gibson and captain Michael Hooper.
It says he told Castle that the way the explosive Folau situation was being dealt with could divide the Wallabies and that “Christian Polynesians in the teams were disappointed by the actions of Rugby Australia”.
https://twitter.com/RugbyPass/status/1232419716620120065
Kepu’s version of events state that Castle began to take the matter with Folau personally. He spoke to Castle two weeks after Folau’s 2019 post. Kepu says the RA boss said something like “Israel threw me under the bus in a Players Voice article”.
Kepu said this attitude was in contrast to her more relaxed response to Folau’s original 2018 post in which he said hell awaits various sinners including homosexuals.
Castle has denied any players were muzzled.
“A lot of work was done by Rugby Australia and the Super Rugby teams to provide open communication on the issue to all players throughout the matter, and when requested, counsel and advice was provided to individuals,” Castle said.
“At all times the priority … was to support the players. We wrote to all players to remind them of their obligations under the code of conduct and our social media policy, but no player was prevented from speaking … or asked to support Rugby Australia’s position regarding Israel in the media.
“At various times, a number of players expressed that they were not comfortable to speak publicly about the issue. Some of those were Christian players who supported Israel as an individual and friend, but did not support his comments.”
This article first appeared on nzherald.co.nz and was republished with permission.
In other news:
Comments on RugbyPass
🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
27 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusades , you can keep going.
1 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
27 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
27 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
27 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
27 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
11 Go to comments