‘The way Satan works’: Israel Folau says Rugby Australia’s offer to let him play again if he took down homophobic post was like a temptation from the devil
- Folau spoke about ongoing dispute with RA at his church’s Sunday service
- He refused the ‘temptation’ to save his career when RA offered a compromise
- ‘(Satan) offers you stuff that could look good to the eye’ he said God comes first
- Folau faces the prospect that his lucrative salary could soon go out the window
Israel Folau has broken his silence about his tattered football career, saying he refused the ‘temptation’ to play rugby again and likened Rugby Australia’s offer to that of the devil.
The 30-year-old took to the stand of his congregation’s service in Sydney’s Kenthurst on Sunday morning, saying his latest controversy has ‘been really challenging’.
He told The Truth of Jesus Christ church service that there had been several opportunities to save his $4 million Wallabies contract, but he ultimately refused the ‘temptation’ to take down his homophobic social media post.
‘The way Satan works is he offers you stuff that could look good to the eye and makes you feel comfortable, and if you follow that path all the worries and troubles will go away. (But) it is always the will of God that comes first.’
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Israel Folau has broken his silence about his tattered career at a Sunday church service, saying he refused the ‘temptation’ to play rugby again, and that his latest controversy has ‘been really challenging’
Folau referenced his refusal to accept Rugby Australia’s recent compromise offer to save his career under the condition he deletes his homophobic Instagram post from April.
‘The opportunity that presented itself, it crossed my mind that my life may… it could possibly go back to the way it used to be.’
He told his fellow Pentecostal worshipers during a Sunday testimony that while he has obviously been stood down, the battle hasn’t finished yet and and the final outcome still isn’t known.
‘Potentially I could get terminated, which means there’s no more playing contract and therefore no more finances or money coming in,’ Folau said to more than 50 worshipers on Sunday.
‘It’s been really challenging but also it’s been encouraging to myself to see what my God is actually doing,’ he said.
Israel Folau was seen greeting fellow worshipers after he spoke at spoke at The Truth of Jesus Christ church service in Kenthurst on Sunday, when he referenced his refusal to bow to ‘temptation’ and accept Rugby Australia’s recent compromise offer to save his career
Folau said he faces the prospect that his lucrative salary could soon go out the window, after more than 13 years of playing professionally.
‘It would be the first time it has happened to me in my life. All the materialistic things I have been able to have over the last number of years are slowly being taken away from me,’ he said.
Folau sat next to fellow NSW Waratah Le Roux Roets, and both players sat through the service holding their bibles and occasionally reading over them.
The highest Super Rugby try-scorer of all time ended his sermon by quoting a bible passage about losing his soul to gain the world.
Folau’s playing career remains in doubt after a Rugby Australia panel found him guilty of a high-level breach of the players’ code of conduct last week.
He faced a three-member panel over three days of hearings to decide whether he had breached the code of conduct with a homophobic social media post that said hell awaited ‘drunks, homosexuals, adulterers’ and others.
Folau’s playing career remains in doubt after a Rugby Australia panel found him guilty of a high-level breach of the players’ code of conduct last week