Folau, faith and folly
Newly elected NZ Rugby board member Sir Michael Jones feels for Israel Folau, but said personal beliefs should be expressed with ‘‘love and grace’’
The 53-year-old All Black great was elected as an independent board member yesterday, ahead of former MP Dame Annette King.
When asked about Folau’s comments saying homosexuals were destined for hell, Jones, a Christian, said he would never make comments like those.
‘‘I do know Israel and he’s a good man. He’s got a good heart, and a strong faith. He’s a friend,’’ Jones said. ‘‘At the same time, I recognise that, in terms of my faith, it’s very much a faith built on love and grace.
‘‘There are members of my family from those [gay] communities, and we love them. They’re integral in our lives and a big part of who we are, and I’m sure Israel has that scenario too . . . Being able to express yourself is important, but doing it respectfully, and I suppose with wisdom. There needs to be a lot of love and a lot of grace, particularly as Christians.’’
New Zealand Rugby was awarded a Rainbow Tick certification in 2017, something the organisation is very proud of.
Rugby is said to be an inclusive sport which people of all races and sexualities can play in, and Jones said that was something he felt strongly about.
‘‘I was very much a part of the respect and responsibility panel that New Zealand Rugby had the vision and the commitment to put in place last year. It was very clear to us that rugby continues to be a game of inclusion, that diversity is recognised and every Kiwi can feel like they can be part of this whanau.
‘‘For me personally, that’s my feelings, particularly about the place of rugby. Rugby is a place where no-one is left behind. It encompasses all, and that’s very important to me personally.’’
NZ Rugby chief executive Steve Tew said his organisation is focused on being as open and inclusive as possible, and welcoming the gay community into the sport.
‘‘We’ve been very clear,’’ Tew said. ‘‘We’ve got policies, we’ve been through the Rainbow Tick certification, [and] we had a major media conference to celebrate that moment.’’
At a time when rugby hierarchies around the world have been keeping their heads tamely beneath the parapet, it should come as no surprise that the first ones to break cover were a couple of halfbacks – a breed not best known for keeping their mouths shut. Brad Weber and TJ Perenara should be applauded for speaking up against Australian back Israel Folau’s view that God’s plan for homosexuals is that they are bound for hell unless they ‘‘repent of their sins’’.
Folau has every right to hold the opinions he does, however archaic they might be. But others have a right to reject them just as strongly. For too long, Folau’s employer, Rugby Australia, has been reluctant to take a stance on the issue, and many others in the game have been only too happy to follow its timorous lead.
So it is to the enormous credit of Weber and Perenara, along with respected referee Nigel Owens, that they have been willing to add their voices to the debate. And what strong voices they have been. Chiefs halfback Weber was the first, writing on Twitter: ‘‘My cousin and her partner, and my aunty and her partner, are some of the most kind, caring people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. To think that I play against someone that says they’ll go to hell for being gay disgusts me.’’
His Hurricanes counterpart Perenara joined in, tweeting: ‘‘As professional rugby players, whether we like it or not, we are role models for a lot of young people. Notably, young Maori and Pasifika people’’, and pointing out those people are over-represented in youth suicide statistics. ‘‘Comments that cause further harm cannot be tolerated.’’
The lingering question for Folau is not just whether his comments will be tolerated, but to what extent his presence on the field will be. His Super Rugby team, the Waratahs, are on a run of home games at present and, if they continue to win, Australian fans might find it easier to forgive their star player. But he has to come to New Zealand next month, to play the Crusaders, and might well find his reception is less than ecstatic.
That may serve to remind him that freedom of speech does not mean freedom from responsibility. His sporting success has given him mana among his community, and a public platform he would not otherwise have had, which includes more than 340,000 followers on Instagram. He would be well advised to use that platform more wisely – and Rugby Australia has now, far too belatedly, put out a memo to its Super Rugby players, warning them of their obligations to use social media in a respectful way.
Some might consider it ironic that it took the social media interventions of two fellow players to force Rugby Australia’s hand. But therein lies the true value of free speech. There is surely room for all shades of opinion to be heard, including Folau’s, and the more we hear, the more we can debate them.
When was the last time we heard All Blacks discussing homosexuality in mature and measured tones? In an unlikely – and surely unintended – way, Israel Folau might just have done public discourse a favour.
Freedom of speech does not mean freedom from responsibility