Wallabies divided? Recent debutant's mother infiltrated Folau's church
The mother of a World Cup Wallaby infiltrated Israel Folau’s church to reveal the “truth” about its teachings.
Helen Petaia, who used the name Josie Benc during the ruse, is the mother of Jordan Petaia who made his debut for the Wallabies against Uruguay in Japan.
The Herald Sun said it obtained correspondence between Petaia and Folau’s 20-year-old cousin Josiah, who recently joined the Truth of Jesus Christ run by Israel Folau’s father.
As part of her undercover investigation, Petaia also travelled from her Queensland home to attend a prayer meeting at the church in Sydney. She obtained “evidence” but would not say if she recorded anything.
The revelation Helen Petaia was behind the sting hasn’t been well received in the Wallabies camp at the World Cup, news.com.au reports.
A source told The Australian newspaper that Folau had been “inundated with messages of support” from his former teammates, which expressed their “utter disbelief” at the “extreme lengths” she had gone to, it reports.
Folau was axed by Rugby Australia because of homophobic media posts linked to his religious beliefs. The star fullback and winger is now suing RA for $10m.
Part of Petaia’s motivation was to inform the Australian Christian Lobby – which raised money for Folau’s legal expenses – about what his church believed in.
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She had not informed Jordan about her actions, but was concerned that he and other young people would be influenced by Israel Folau’s star power.
She focused on the topic of litigation in the correspondence with Folau’s s cousin.
“What does the bible say about suing people?” she asked.
“I wonder if this is something Jesus would ever consider doing.
“Your cousin Israel seems not to understand forgiveness and demonstration of the love of Jesus, he is behaving just like non-believers even though he says he is standing up for all people of faith.”
Wallabies head coach Michael Cheika has thrown his support behind an anticipated bid by Rugby Australia to host the 2027 Rugby World Cup. #RWC2019 https://t.co/94eSHDDKbn
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 9, 2019
Petaia also wrote: “Why take all that money from Rugby Australia and then destroy the livelihood (sic) of the players he says he cares about?”
Petaia said she was “gutted” that Folau was not still playing for the Wallabies.
“It’s just a tragedy on so many levels,” she said.
Petaia has been in the headlines previously, successfully fighting a tax bill which had crippled her small business.
Folau is suing RA and the NSW Waratahs for unlawful dismissal, claiming his firing earlier this year over the social media messages was because of his religion.
In one April post, Folau claimed transgender people were evil and should repent while another paraphrased a bible passage saying “drunks, homosexuals, adulterers, liars, fornicators, thieves, athiests and idolators” would go to hell unless they repented.
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It was the second time he’d been pulled up for the same conduct, after it was revealed he offered to walk away from the sport and his contract over similar posts in April 2018.
RA and the Waratahs filed their defences to Folau’s allegations in the Federal Circuit Court last month, revealing Folau conceded before a tribunal in May that his posts had breached the sport’s code of conduct.
Faced with his concessions and refusal to remove the posts, the tribunal had little choice but to direct his contract be terminated, RA claims.
It says it’s “remarkable” Folau now claims his posts did not breach the code and that he also conceded the posts had the potential to damage RA’s relationship with sponsors and knew transgender and homosexual people may have been offended.
Folau claims his sacking was on the basis of his religion and has meant he can no longer play rugby union at an international level.
This article first appeared on nzherald.co.nz and is republished with permission.
Comments on RugbyPass
Firstly the foul on Bongi was a planned move just like the NZ master plan with Bryce Lawrence you kiwis are filthy fux perhaps try to play a cleaner game next time I doubt that’s possible tho but don’t worry world rugby is on yr side they trying to take away all the BOKS strengths to help all you weakling as Jeremy Clarkson would say LA OO ZA ERR..🤣
99 Go to commentsAbsolutely spot on Ben. I certainly wouldn't gloat over a win like that. Frustrating as it is it's done and dusted and history will forever show the result.
99 Go to commentsHo hum.
99 Go to commentsNo question they were the better team. But that is the beauty of sport isn’t it!
99 Go to commentsEveryone is into Hurling in Ireland according to Porter, but only 11 of Ireland's 32 counties enter a team into the national competition. Same old blarney.
1 Go to commentsLet’s be honest. The draw and scheduling in the World Cup was a joke but South Africa found a way after having to go the hard (nearly impossible) way to the Cup Final via France and England. NZ had a hard game against France (lost) and had 5 weeks to prepare for the Quarter, 3 weeks knowing it was Ireland. NZ theerfore had to win one big game against an Irish team who played SA and then Scotland 7 days before. They won and it was de facto a semi final because they were playing a relatively weak Argentina team and it was a walk over. In the final a very rested NZ team was playing a very tired SA team and still lost. They couldn’t score more than 11 points. Put another way SA had to find a way to win while tired and they achieved that. NZ should thank their lucky stars that they fixed the scheduling in 2015 otherwise they would be dealing with a Bok treble.
99 Go to commentsPerhaps if Bongi wasn’t targeted and removed from the game in the first 3 minutes it would have been quite a different game. Maybe if NZ also faced the same competition the Boks faced to their win NZ would have looked quite different. The final score shows who outplayed who.
99 Go to commentsRubbish article! Abuladze played most of Exeters matches when fit. He got injured against Glasgow a while ago and is out for the rest of the season, thats why he hasnt played for Exeter and Georgia recently. Do some proper research next time!
1 Go to commentsGotta love it when kids throw their toys out the pram and can’t hack it with the grown ups debate. Here’s looking at you turlough! 😉🤣
148 Go to commentsThey lost the game period move on
99 Go to commentsSpringboks won! Stop winging. You can change the game however much you and your rugby colonizing IRB want to and the Springboks will win you at that too. Your mind is colonized my friend get a life
99 Go to commentsBen, nobody gets fooled anymore by selective and biased data to support an hypothesis. Games are decided on such small margins these days that you win some and lose some, and dominance is a thing of the rugby past. Look at the RWC circle of fortune…. Ireland beats SA who beat France who beat NZ who beat Ireland. And so it goes on. Match officials help to eliminate real indiscretions. If they had been with us years before, no doubt results would have been different. Remember Andy Haden’s dive from a lineout in 1978 for which a match-wining penalty was awarded? Wales should have beaten the ABs that day. They took the loss like the gentlemen they were.
99 Go to commentsWith all the analysis and how good the all blacks were.The fundamental mistake with the ABs is that this is a test match and not an exhibition.There is no better team(country) in world rugby than the Boks that knows how to win a test match(we are post masters at this).We know our rules, we have the discipline, we tackle like beasts, we take our points and we never give up.I now have educated the ABs supporters(at least say thank you).Please stop “bitching” , accept what the outcome is and move along swiftly.
99 Go to commentsAnd they came from behind to win two big games before the final. No one can say what would have happened. Had the boks gone behind the game plan changes and the result may changes. Ifs and ands are irrelevant. The boks won. Neutral critics enjoyed the games they played. Its not a popularity contest. Get over it and move on.
99 Go to commentsI'm happy for the people of SA to get a second WC. And I mean that. I was very disappointed with this man's “stand on the hand” incident with Josh Van Der Flyer (Ireland). Ireland's downfall in the last WC was they did not rotate their first 15 as the head coach probably should have. That said, I'm happy for SA and genuinely hope it lifts the mood in their country. Ireland did beat them in the first match of the tournament. And before the trolls start trolling ….. please don't bother. Etzbeth said recently that the Irish players said after the match “see you in the final”…..this was actually wishing the SA team the best of luck in the rest, the Irish team were not dismissing the AB’s. This is what Etzbeth was implying. But he was wrong. I no longer live in Ireland. But I hope to see them lift that cup before I pass. Anyway, congratulations SA. 👍
12 Go to commentsMore bloody click bait. Dan Carter has said absolutely nothing. As he should do. Poor journalism again from a site that should know better
9 Go to commentsOh god please help these loosers get over it!!!! You lost. Doesn't matter how many times you dummies are gonna analyse the game, you still lost and we are still Rygby World Champions….get over it, you lost.
99 Go to commentsThe next Willie le Roux. SA are made not to use him.
3 Go to commentsDan has always been as controversial as tea with milk so we were never going to get any definitive answer. So DMac for the win.
9 Go to commentsGoodness. When are the All Blacks and New Zealand commentators going to stop complaining about how they could have won and just try to win next time 😂. In South Africa if you lose you get up and try again. Get over it.
99 Go to comments