Pocock tees off at Folau
Retired Australian loose forward David Pocock has put disgraced Wallaby Israel Folau in his place, dismissing his claims he was in line to captain Australia.
Folau sensationally increased his compensation demands from $10 million to $14 million because he believes he would have replaced Michael Hooper as captain and cashed in.
He lodged the claim with the Federal Circuit Court last week, a continuation of his ugly legal spat with Rugby Australia, who Folau believes wrongfully terminated his contract for saying ‘‘hell awaits’’ gay people in a social media post.
In an updated statement of claim lodged with the Federal Circuit Court last week, Folau is partly justifying his demand for more money by claiming he will now miss out on the extra cash which comes with leading the national side.
‘‘I think Michael Hooper has been doing a great job and he’s contracted to the next World Cup, so I’m not sure where Izzy’s getting that from,’’ Pocock said.
Pocock also again took aim at Folau for using his profile to discriminate against gay people.
‘‘My view has been that sport is at its best when it’s challenging society to be more inclusive,’’ Pocock said.
‘‘I think we can play such an important role in trying to instil values of fairness and inclusivity into kids coming through.’’
Pocock was a long-time supporter of marriage equality in Australia and previously criticised Folau for his anti-gay social media posts.