(1989-04-03) 3 April 1989 (age 35) Minto, New South Wales, Australia
Height
6 ft 4 in (1.94 m)[2][3]
Weight
16 st 3 lb (103 kg)[4]
Playing information
Rugby league
Position
Centre, Wing
Club
Years
Team
Pld
T
G
FG
P
2007–08
Melbourne Storm
52
36
5
0
154
2009–10
Brisbane Broncos
39
37
0
0
148
2020
Catalans Dragons
15
5
0
0
20
Total
106
78
5
0
322
Representative
Years
Team
Pld
T
G
FG
P
2010
NRL All Stars
1
0
0
0
0
2008–10
Queensland
5
5
0
0
20
2007–09
Australia
8
6
0
0
24
Rugby union
Position
Fullback, Wing, Centre
Club
Years
Team
Pld
T
G
FG
P
2013–2019
New South Wales Waratahs
96
60
0
0
300
2021–
Urayasu D-Rocks[a]
20
16
0
0
80
Total
116
76
0
0
380
Representative
Years
Team
Pld
T
G
FG
P
2013–2019
Australia
73
37
0
0
185
2022–
Tonga
2
0
0
0
0
Australian rules football
Position
Utility
Club
Years
Team
Pld
G
2011–2012
Greater Western Sydney
13
2
Source: [5][6][7]
As of 14 July 2023
Israel ‘Isileli Folau (Tongan:[fo'lɑʊ̯]; born 3 April 1989) is a professional dual-code rugby player who plays as a fullback for Japan Rugby League One club Urayasu D-Rocks. Born in Australia, he represents Tonga at international level after qualifying on ancestry grounds.
Folau began his professional career playing rugby league. Representing the Melbourne Storm in the National Rugby League (NRL) from 2007 to 2008, where he broke the record for most tries in a debut year. He then played with the Brisbane Broncos from 2009 to 2010. Playing as a wing or centre, Folau represented Queensland in the State of Origin and Australia, becoming the youngest player to play for both teams. In 2020, Folau played for the French rugby league team the Catalans Dragons in the Super League.[8]
In 2011, Folau joined the Greater Western Sydney Giants in the Australian Football League (AFL) and played for two seasons. In December 2012, Folau announced he was to switch codes again, this time for rugby union, and signed a one-year contract with the Waratahs.[9] He would later become the record holder for the most tries scored in Super Rugby history post the 2019 season.[10] At international level, he made his debut for Australia in 2013 against the British & Irish Lions, and went on to earn 73 caps. In 2022, Folau switched allegiance in honour to represent Tonga after World Rugby announced its new eligibility laws.
Folau's statements about what he understands the Bible to say about same-sex marriage and homosexuality brought him into conflict with the administrators of Rugby Australia, and in 2019 they terminated his contract. Alleging that Rugby Australia terminated his employment on the basis of religion, Folau commenced proceedings in the Fair Work Commission but was unable to reach a settlement with Rugby Australia.[11][12] He subsequently commenced proceedings in the Federal Circuit Court of Australia[13][14] and a confidential settlement between the two parties was released on 4 December 2019.[15]
^"Australian Rugby League star, 'Isileli Folau, renews his Tongan connection". 5 August 2009.
^"Israel Folau". rugby.com.au. Australian Rugby Union. Retrieved 14 August 2015.
^"Israel Folau". waratahs.com.au. NSW Waratahs. Archived from the original on 15 September 2015. Retrieved 14 August 2015.
^"Wallabies Player Profile". www.rugby.com.au. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
^loverugbyleague
^"Israel Folau - Career Stats & Summary - Rugby League Project". www.rugbyleagueproject.org.
^"AFL Tables - Israel Folau - Stats - Statistics". afltables.com.
^Whalan, Roscoe (29 January 2020). "Folau back in the game thanks to French rugby league team — but he's on notice". ABC News. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
^Cite error: The named reference waratahs-8118 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Israel Folau breaks Super Rugby try-scoring record www.rte.ie, 6 April 2019
^Mark, David. "Israel Folau's case is heading to the courts — so what happens now?". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
^Maiden, Samantha. "Talks break down once and for all between Israel Folau and Rugby Australia". The New Daily. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
^Cite error: The named reference ABC FCCA was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Cite error: The named reference Form 3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^"Joint statement by Rugby Australia, NSW Rugby Union and Israel Folau". australia.rugby. 4 December 2019. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).
Israel ‘Isileli Folau (Tongan: [fo'lɑʊ̯]; born 3 April 1989) is a professional dual-code rugby player who plays as a fullback for Japan Rugby League One...
Donates $100,000 to IsraelFolau, Launches Alternative Fundraising Site". Australian Christian Lobby. Retrieved 25 June 2019. "IsraelFolau: Australian Christian...
Folau is a Tongan surname. People with that name include: IsraelFolau (born 1989), Australian professional rugby footballer Maria Folau (nee Tuta'ia )...
Queensland Firebirds were in discussions with Folau. Folau is married to the Tongan Australian rugby player IsraelFolau. The two married in Kangaroo Valley, New...
2020. "IsraelFolau under fire for implying bushfires are God's punishment". Guardian. 18 November 2019. Retrieved 29 January 2020. "IsraelFolau: shock...
Queensland were strong across the park with Johnathan Thurston shining, IsraelFolau showing his class and veterans Steve Price and Petero Civoniceva giving...
others, but it was also a showcase to reveal the Tahs new weapon; IsraelFolau. Folau highlighted Cheika's intent scoring a hat-trick of tries in what...
terminated a $3 million fund raising for an Australian rugby player, IsraelFolau, to finance a court case to appeal his multi-million dollar dismissal...
season. Sivo finished the 2019 NRL season with 20 tries, one behind IsraelFolau's record of 21 in a rookie NRL season. In the elimination final against...
as playing Assistant Coaches. Greater Western Sydney also recruited IsraelFolau, a former professional rugby league and rugby union footballer, from...
criticised Australian rugby player IsraelFolau for claiming that it was God's plan to send gay people to Hell, describing Folau's comments as "disappointing"...
inspired Folau banned from Australia". The Daily Telegraph. The American preacher with millions of followers who helped inspired IsraelFolau's Truth Of...
team. Folau is the younger brother of former Melbourne Storm and Brisbane Broncos player, and former NSW Waratahs and Wallabies player IsraelFolau. From...
Jason Akermanis is quoted to have said in reference to both Hunt and IsraelFolau – who converted from rugby league to Australian rules football the year...
Part-way through the series it became steeped in controversy, firstly for IsraelFolau's announcement of his defection to the AFL and subsequent non-selection...
former Waratahs fullback and dual Australia and Tonga representative IsraelFolau. Nawaqanitawase began his professional career in 2018, signing with the...
appeared on Sky News to debate comments made by professional rugby player IsraelFolau, and he was the face of a national HIV test campaign with the charity...
campaign targeting Christian preacher and rugby league football player IsraelFolau after he called on homosexuals to "repent of their sins and turn to God"...
all-Queensland backline, including Billy Slater, Darius Boyd, Justin Hodges, IsraelFolau, Darren Lockyer and Johnathan Thurston. This feat had not been achieved...
Bowen (North Queensland) and IsraelFolau (Melbourne) Top pointscorer: Hazem El Masri (Canterbury) Rookie: IsraelFolau (Melbourne) Provan-Summons Medal...
second highest try-scorer with 10 tries, behind Waratahs outside-back IsraelFolau. He also finished the season as the second highest point-scorer with...
Minchin directed a two-part series called Folau about the cultural impact and tension of rugby player IsraelFolau's Christian faith in sport in relation with...
his support for inclusiveness and diversity in rugby. In response to IsraelFolau's controversial comments on same-sex marriage, Perenara tweeted in support...
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