Rugby: Israel Folau gives up $500k payday to spend quality time with Maria Tutaia

Maria Tutaia and Israel Folau announced their engagement last year.

Wallabies star Israel Folau is giving up a $500,000 12-week contract so he can spend quality time with fiance and Silver Ferns great Maria Tutaia.

The Daily Telegraph reports that the Wallabies fullback has turned down a deal to play in Japan with the Panasonic Wild Knights. According to the newspaper, Folau would have earned AU$42,000 each time he turned out for Robbie Deans' side over the summer.

Folau is skipping the Australian end-of-year tour, playing his final game of the year against the Barbarians on Saturday.

He told the Daily Telegraph that he and Tutaia won't be tying the knot during his sabbatical from the Wallabies.

"We're both just having time off, we haven't figured out a wedding date yet, but it's pretty hard at the moment because of our seasons.

"We're not in a rush to get things done, we're just really trying to enjoy our time together because we don't get a lot of that together."

Folau revealed to the Daily Telegraph that he considered moving to the Blues to be closer to the Auckland-based Tutaia.

"Early on in the relationship I knew she was the one," Folau told the Daily Telegraph.

"It was a feeling I've never had before in previous relationships.

"She's been really good for me, really supportive - from afar obviously - but she has been great."