Whether or not they are religious, Australian rugby officials will be praying major sponsors have been appeased by Israel Folau’s explanation for his recent comment about gay people being destined for Hell if they did not repent their “sins”.
Folau created one of the biggest controversies in Australian sport this year when he expressed his fundamentalist Christian view about homosexuality on social media two weeks ago.
Israel Folau escapes Rugby Australia sanction after revealing he offered to quit
Under pressure from sponsors such as Qantas and anxious to defend policies of inclusiveness, Rugby Australia chief-executive Raelene Castle and NSW Waratahs counter-part Andrew Hore summoned Folau to a meeting to discuss the fallout of what has been interpreted by many as an appalling anti-gay slur.
Since then Folau has refused to back down, while Rugby Australia has decided against sanctioning him for his inflammatory comments, satisfied by a website column in which reiterated the depth of his religious beliefs and insisted he meant no harm.
Castle said she was happy Folau did not intend to upset people or damage the game, but will the sponsors be so understanding? Rugby Australia will be holding their breath. Major sponsors come and go in sport, but in the current economic climate and general malaise of rugby in this country the loss of a sponsor such as Qantas, reportedly worth $4m a year, would be financially crippling for Australian rugby.
The game in Australia has just experienced the most turbulent period of the professional era following the axing of Super Rugby franchise the Western Force last year for financial reasons. In this vulnerable position the loss of big sponsorship dollars would be extremely difficult for Australian rugby to cope with. It would have dire consequences for the game at the international, Super Rugby and community levels.
Some will accuse Rugby Australia of being weak for not sanctioning Folau when the national governing body supports inclusiveness, but does a sporting organisation have the right to punish a player for expressing their religious beliefs? Rugby Australia may have been in breach of laws that protect religious freedom if they had taken action against Folau, who was quoting the Bible.
Instead, Rugby Australia is hoping Folau will exercise restraint when posting his religious views on social media and that sponsors will not have cause to complain, but there are no guarantees he will not offend in the future.
It was interesting to see Folau accuse Castle of “misrepresenting” his position following their meeting last week. Clearly, Folau is not going to allow himself to be maneuvered to appease the corporates, which means this issue is still in play. The danger is at what point does a sponsor say enough is enough? It might take just one offensive tweet from Folau on a sensitive subject to tip a disgruntled sponsor over the edge.
But does a company have the right to break a contract with an entire sporting body over an individual player expressing their religious beliefs? To be sure, a company like Qantas which publicly supported same-sex marriage could argue anti-gay commentary did not fit with their corporate values.
But Qantas sponsors the Wallabies, not Israel Folau, notwithstanding the fact he is a key member of the team. His beliefs are his own. They do not reflect Rugby Australia. Would Rugby Australia be entitled to compensation if a sponsor pulled out of their deal over an individual players’ religious beliefs? This is unchartered territory which will no doubt have all parties seeking legal advice, if not moral guidance.
Folau has revealed he was prepared to walk away from rugby if his religious opinions damaged the game. Does this mean he would quit immediately if sponsors withdrew their support? This would make him a martyr.
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Castle has made it clear Rugby Australia is keen to re-sign Folau, who is out of contract at the end of the year. Losing the Wallabies’ highest-profile player in a World Cup year would be a major setback and an embarrassment, particularly if he returned to rival code the NRL.
Popular opinion is that if sponsors remain on board, even grudgingly, Folau will re-sign for one more year with the Wallabies and Waratahs to play in the 2019 World Cup and then head to Europe or Japan where he could earn really big bucks.
As the parties involved consider their next move, they might want to think about a quote from former Beatle George Harrison: “Heaven and Hell is right now … You make it Heaven or you make it Hell by your actions.”