Folau slammed over tweet

Wallabies superstar Israel Folau has sparked a Twitter backlash by revealing he will not support the push for same-sex marriage.

Folau, a devout Christian, tweeted yesterday afternoon: ‘‘I love and respect all people for who they are and their opinions. but personally, I will not support gay marriage.’’

It comes after numerous sporting organisations - including the Australian Rugby Union - declared their support for a ‘yes’ vote in the government’s postal survey.

Folau is the fiance of star Silver Ferns shooter Maria Tutaia and has played 58 tests for Australia since 2013. He was immediately inundated with dozens of replies criticising him for his stance.

Folau is believed to be the first high-profile sportsperson to have publicly announced their oppo- sition to same-sex marriage.

The 28-year-old was raised as a Mormon but is now a devout Christian after his family converted in 2011.

Folau credits his relationship with God as one of the reasons for his athletic prowess and his success in the NRL, AFL and rugby union.

His views are in stark contrast to Wallabies teammate David Pocock, who has taken the year off rugby but will be back in the Test ranks alongside Folau next year.

A passionate campaigner for a variety of social issues including homophobia and marriage equality, Pocock famously declared four years ago that he would not tie the knot with his partner Emma Palandri until gay people were legally permitted to do the same.