Israel Folau is fighting for his test rugby future following the backlash after his anti-gay social media posts. Photo / Getty
Israel Folau is fighting for his test rugby future following the backlash after his anti-gay social media posts. Photo / Getty
Rugby Australia has come under fire for its handling of the protracted Israel Folau saga, as the disgraced Wallabies star's code of conduct hearing drags into a fourth day.
A three-person panel is expected to convene today after hearing more than 15 hours of arguments at the RA headquarters in Sydney over the weekend.
It's been almost a month since Folau's homophobic social media post triggered widespread reaction, including his employer's promise to tear up his lucrative four-year contract.
Many fans and teammates have also come out in support of Folau, with former All Blacks winger Inga Tuigamala telling the Herald Folau should be "commended" and that his views should be "put in perspective".
The Israel Folau saga has dragged on for a month. Photo / Getty
RA's integrity unit deemed Folau had committed a high-level breach of the code of conduct warranting termination of his employment contract after he had signed a new deal, reportedly worth $4 million, in February following a similar incident late last year.
Folau's defence is believed to be based on the argument that he is being punished for expressing his religion's beliefs, while the lack of social media clauses in his new contract could also be central.
He is understood to have rejected a $1 million offer to walk away from Australian rugby last week.
The panel have heard submissions from, among others, Wallabies coach Michael Cheika, RA's CEO Raelene Castle, and NSW Rugby boss Andrew Hore, but are not expected to reach a verdict on Tuesday.
NSW Waratahs chairman Roger Davis has called for RA to push through a resolution quickly — even if that meant finding a settlement with Folau, news.com.au reported.
The former NRL and AFL star has already reportedly rejected a $1 million payout offer, however, that number has been denied by RA.
"This is a no-win situation for the game and fans and I'd like to see it resolved as quickly as possible," Davis said.
"I think a settlement is a common sense approach … it would be smart. If this goes for a long time there are definitely no winners.
"Let's see if we can bring some common sense to the table and work out a solution that keeps everyone but happy but with a three-party deal that's not as easy as it sounds."
Folau was at RA headquarters on Sunday while his congregation prayed for him at their regular weekend service at the Truth of Jesus Christ church in Sydney.
His Waratahs teammates insist, however, that the saga has not been a distraction. Folau has missed the Waratahs' last three games after being stood down, two of which they've lost.
Wallabies coach Michael Cheika has appeared before a three-person panel at Rugby Australia's headquarters. Photo / Getty
"I think there's a bit of a political thing going on at the moment over here so there's a fair bit of that stuff around but not really," Folau's Waratahs and Wallabies teammate Ned Hanigan said.
"Being away, as a team on tour, you're always galvanised together and you just focus on the job getting done. Speaking on the distraction back home a little bit, if we call it that, there's a code of conduct process that's still ongoing so there isn't much more to say. That process needs to be undertaken so I think as a team we know that.
"As a team we're sort of pretty focused on the job."
Earlier reports indicated that a number of Waratahs and Wallabies players would boycott the respective teams, should Folau be allowed to return to the playing field.
