Controversial rugby figure Israel Folau to play in Japan with Shining Arcs Sorry, but your browser needs Javascript to use this site. If you re not sure how to activate it, please refer to this site: https://www.enable-javascript.com/
Israel Folau, seen with Catalan Dragons in 2020, will play in Japan in 2022. | REUTERS
AFP-JIJI Jul 5, 2021
Israel Folau, who was fired by Rugby Australia in 2019 for saying “hell awaits” gay people, will play in Japan next season, it was announced Monday.
Folau has signed to play for the Chiba-based NTT Communications Shining Arcs in Japan’s premier domestic competition when it starts its new season in January 2022, the Japan Rugby Football Union announced.
Israel Folau to team up with former Munster coach in Japan next season the42.ie - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from the42.ie Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The former Brisbane Broncos, Queensland and Australia rugby league star moved to English Super League club Catalans Dragons in 2020 in a deal reported to be worth $265,000 a year. He left France late last year to return to Australia to help his wife, former New Zealand Silver Ferns netball international Maria Folau look after her ailing mother. Folau was cleared by the Dragons last week and was set to turn out for Gold Coast rugby league club Southport Tigers, where his two brothers play.
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Otere Black in action for the Māori All Blacks against Samoa. Black, 25, played his last game for the Blues in the Super Rugby Trans Tasman grand final win over the Highlanders.
Beauden Barrett and his Suntory Sungoliath marched on to top spot in their Japan conference.
Kiwis Robbie Deans and Milton Haig, the only coaches with head coaching experience in test rugby in the Top League, are in pole position for the playoffs after the Panasonic Wild Knights and Suntory Sungoliath won their respective conferences in Japan at the weekend. The Wild Knights needed to beat Yamaha Jubilo in order to stay above the Kobelco Steelers in the white conference and achieved the assignment comfortably, with the Hunterville-born former Wales international Hadleigh Parkes scoring two of Panasonic’s eight tries as they romped to a 55-19 win.
Beauden Barrett of the Suntory Sungoliath tiptoes clear of the defence once again.
Beauden Barrett’s Suntory Sungoliath are alone with a perfect record in the 16-team Japan Top League, after the All Blacks first five-eighth rescued his side in the final moments for the second week running. On the same day his Super Rugby side the Blues toppled his old team the Hurricanes, Barrett lived up to his star billing again as Suntory beat Ryan Crotty’s Kubota Spears 33-26. Suntory appeared to be cruising when they led 26-7 with less than half-an-hour to play before Kubota mounted a brave fightback, with their wrecking ball Tongan loose forward Finau Tupa finishing with three tries as the 2019 finalists levelled the game.