Folau switches codes, joins French rugby league team
Cotter appointed Fiji rugby coach
PERPIGNAN, France, Jan 28, (AP): Australia rugby player Israel Folau switched codes and joined French rugby league side Catalans Dragons in Europe’s Super League on Tuesday, signalling his return to top-level sport after an outcry over his controversial posts on social media.
Rugby Australia fired Folau over an Instagram post in April in which he condemned “drunks, homosexuals” and warned “hell awaits” them. Folau appealed against the firing and reached a confidential settlement with the governing body in December.
Less than two months later, he is back in rugby – but in the 13-man code in which he first made his name in Australia.
The 30-year-old Folau signed a 12-month deal with Catalans, the only French club in a league otherwise containing English teams and one from Canada.
“I’m a proud Christian, my beliefs are personal, my intention is not to hurt anyone and I will not be making further public comment about them,” Folau said in a statement by Catalans announcing his signing. “I look forward to my return to the great game of rugby league with the Catalans Dragons.”
The Super League said it was “a difficult decision” to allow Folau to be registered but added “the moral responsibility for deciding whether to sign a player sits with individual clubs.”
“The player has not been charged or found guilty of any criminal offense,” it said in a statement. “However distasteful his previous comments, we don’t believe that, under our current regulatory framework, these can prevent his participation in the sport.
“We have sought and received reassurances from both the player and the club regarding future behavior.”
Folau responded by saying: “I acknowledge the views expressed by Super League and the Rugby Football League.”
One of the top players in world rugby, Folau was almost a certainty to play for Australia at the Rugby World Cup in Japan last year until he was fired. Australia lost to England in the quarter-finals. Meanwhile, former Scotland coach Vern Cotter accepted a three-year contract to coach Fiji on Tuesday.
Cotter succeeded fellow New Zealander John McKee, who guided Fiji from 2014 until the end of his contract in December.
Cotter coached French club Clermont to the Top 14 title in 2010 after leading it to the final in three previous seasons. He has coached Montpellier since 2017, guiding it to the Top 14 final in 2018. His contract at Montpellier ends in June, ahead of Fiji’s first test of the year against Tonga on July 4.
Cotter had a 53% success rate in his four years as Scotland coach, winning 19 of his 36 matches in charge. But that was the best record of any Scotland coach since Ian McGeechan left the role in 1993. Cotter restored respect to Scotland, raising standards and belief. They reached the 2015
In this Aug 18, 2018 file photo, Australia’s Israel Folau (right), side steps New Zealand’s Ryan Crotty during their rugby union Test match in Sydney. (AP)
Rugby World Cup quarter-finals where they lost to Australia to a late penalty kick which was later decided was given in error.
“Cotter presented a thorough and detailed plan to take the team to new levels of success and we were impressed by his vision and expectations of what can be achieved by the program,” Fiji Rugby Union chairman Francis Kean said.
Cotter wasn’t present on Tuesday at the news conference in Suva but said in a statement, “Fiji rugby has come a long way in the last few years and I am looking forward to the opportunity to work with the talent within the national teams and enhance the competitiveness of Fiji on the world stage.”
Cotter has a strong knowledge of Fiji’s top players, having coached Nemani Nadolo, Nemani Nagusa, Napolioni Nalaga and Sitiveni Sivivatu during his time in France.
Fiji had a disappointing World Cup in Japan last year, winning only one of its pool matches and losing to Uruguay. It dropped out of the top 10 world rankings to 11th.
“It is no secret we were disappointed with the results from the 2019 Rugby World Cup, and with the appointment of Vern Cotter we hope to see the Flying Fijians produce the success we believe they are capable of achieving,” Kean said.
“We are committed to support this new head coach with the resources he needs to manage a high performance program that develops the widespread talent available in order to progress Fiji rugby back up the world rugby rankings.”