Chief executive Alfonso Meyer says the Vodacom Bulls were approached by a lawyer to see if they might be interested in contracting former Wallabies star Israel Folau.
Folau recently settled his long-running legal dispute with Rugby Australia, after his dismissal following a controversial social media post in April, which stated homosexuals are destined for hell unless they repent their sins. The 30-year-old claimed that he was unlawfully sacked because of his religion by Rugby Australia.
Rugby Australia – who argued the termination for high-level misconduct was purely contractual – were facing financial ruin had it lost the bitter dispute, after Folau last week raised his compensation claim to A$14 million.
A joint statement by Folau and the governing body released on Wednesday said an agreement had been reached, but that the terms of the settlement would remain confidential.
With the dispute now in the past, it appears that Folau is currently looking for his next club as he seeks to rebuild his career and reputation.
In an interview with Netwerk24, Bulls CEO Meyer claimed that he briefly considered signing Folau, but decided not to due to his controversial views.
‘I’m not sure if it is Folau’s lawyer, but a lawyer approached us to hear if we are interested in contracting him,’ Meyer said. ‘Initially, I was excited but if you look at this matter with a sober mind then it’s simply not worth the risk. He is controversial and you’ll expose yourself by contracting him.
‘It’s a pity because he [Folau] is a very special player,’ added Meyer.
‘He is probably amongst the top two or three players in the world. If it wasn’t for his comments, we would have given our all to have him in the group.’
Photo: Jono Searle/Getty Images
