Israel Folau back in union after joining Japanese club

Controversial former Wallabies and Waratahs full-back Israel Folau will make a return to rugby union after joining Japanese Top League club Shining Arcs.

It is understood that the 32-year-old has signed a two-year contract and will be coached by former Waratahs boss Rob Penney, who was sacked by the Sydney-based outfit in March after the team lost their first five matches in Super Rugby AU.

Just last week, Folau was released from his contract with French rugby league side Catalan Dragons “with immediate effect” after informing the club he wanted to stay in Australia for what the Dragons said was “a personal family situation” and also to play alongside his two brothers for small-town club Southport Tigers.

He started his professional sports career as a star winger in the NRL but he switched to rugby union in 2013 after an unsuccessful spell playing Australian Rules.

Sacked in 2019

In 2019, Folau was sacked by Rugby Australia and New South Wales Rugby after he posted a meme containing the warning that homosexuals would go to hell unless they repented from their sins.

Given it was a similar post to one in 2018, and came after Rugby Australia warnings to not post such material, Folau was issued a Code of Conduct breach.

After an independent Code of Conduct tribunal panel ruled he’d made a “high-level” contract breach for the repeated anti-gay social media posts, Folau’s AUS$4 million contract was terminated.