1015 Israel Folau sacked for quoting the Bible - the very Bible you swear on in Court. Big business is Big Brother

Israel Folau sacked for quoting the Bible - the very Bible you swear on
in Court. Big  business is Big Brother

Newsletter published on May 4, 2019

This newsletter is at http://mailstar.net/Folau-Big-Brother.doc

(1) Israel Folau vs Big Brother. Folau’s religious freedom the defining
issue of our time
(2) Pacific Islands Rugby Players (1/3 of Australia's team) unite behind
Israel Folau
(3) Folau hearing: Any car that arrived or exited was swamped
(4) Rugby Australia faces financial ruin over Israel Folau case
(5) 'Rugby Australia failed to get Folau to sign off on the social media
clause in his playing contract'

(1) Israel Folau vs Big Brother. Folau’s religious freedom the defining
issue of our time

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/rugby-union/israel-folaus-religious-freedom-the-defining-issue-of-our-time/news-story/675b60e44832bf62246208ebd33d6eec

Israel Folau’s religious freedom the defining issue of our time

ALAN JONES

12:00AM MAY 3, 2019

Just when you thought the administration of rugby could not get worse,
it continues to be a sporting embarrassment.

Does no one in a position of leadership understand the damage that is
being done to the game as a result of the Israel Folau affair?

Who is going to be brave enough to put their hand up, even on the eve of
this "tribunal" meeting tomorrow; or do we just keep digging the hole
and burying the game?

Let me say up front that Rugby Australia, the administration, can’t win.

They have the most expensive legal advisers that money can buy. Surely
they are telling Rugby Australia that this is unwinnable.

RA may get some vicarious satisfaction by hoping that Israel will be
punished, rubbed out of the game, humiliated, ostracised, denigrated and
the contract ripped up.

Well, I say, do your best. That strategy will not win.

I have written three articles in this newspaper on this matter. They
have been among the most read and thousands of readers have left comments.

It is unprecedented and 95 per cent of them support Israel Folau’s right
to articulate his religious beliefs.

In one week it is infinitely worse than it was.

We read in this paper, earlier this week, that the gifted Polynesian
captain of Queensland rugby, Samu Kerevi, posted on Instagram on Easter
Thursday, "God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son
that, whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting
life … Thank You Jesus for dying on the cross for me. I love you Jesus."

You will recall we learnt that the tribunal could not meet that same
weekend of the "offence".

Rugby Australia wanted to sack Israel Folau for his Christian views.

It couldn’t because it was Easter and everyone at Rugby Australia was
taking a holiday to commemorate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

And when we get to the tribunal stage, and affidavits are sworn,
witnesses will take the stand, and, as Bernard Gaynor wrote:

"Our legal system, in its zeal for the facts will allow people to swear
on the Bible that what they say is the truth, the whole truth and
nothing but the truth so help them God … the same Bible that Israel
Folau quoted from … the same Bible that Raelene Castle says is so
offensive that merely quoting from it should see one cast, weeping and
gnashing their teeth into the exterior darkness … the same Bible (on
which) our governors-general and prime ministers take their oath of office."

The impotence of rugby leadership has been laid bare. Sporting oblivion
beckons.

Did anyone note that only 10,000 people attended the Waratahs game at
the brand new Bankwest Stadium last Saturday night? The public, fed up
with the treatment of Folau, and all else, are voting with their feet
and their wallets.

Yet what we see may be only the tip of the iceberg because players of
similar Christian beliefs to those of Israel are saying, ‘well, you may
as well sack all of us because we have the same Christian beliefs as
Israel’.

I coached Taniela Tupou a couple of years ago in the Barbarians. A
wonderful, simple, gentle, God-fearing person.

He said on Facebook this week: "I will never apologise for my faith and
for what I believe in, religion had nothing to do with rugby."

Kerevi, who posted the Christian message at Easter, also said he would
not apologise for his faith in Jesus Christ.

They are basically saying, sack us or back off Israel.

Brisbane-born Billy Vunipola was slapped with a warning, in England,
when he supported Israel; but three of his England teammates have stood
up and backed Vunipola.

Make no mistake, this is a rugby crisis which has morphed into a social
crisis which will open gigantic wounds in relation to freedom of speech
and freedom of religion.

It will be on for young and old. If need be, Israel will take this all
the way and he will have no trouble funding any legal challenge.

Then I note that Israel, apparently, is not fighting to continue his
rugby career in this country because as colleague Wayne Smith writes:
"Rugby Australia has made it quite clear that whether he wins the case
or loses it, his time with the Wallabies and Waratahs is over".

I beg your pardon? So, if the tribunal finds in favour of freedom of
speech and freedom of religion, he will be banished anyway.

If it finds against him, the matter will go to a higher authority to be
heard all over again.

Rugby Australia are being represented at the tribunal tomorrow by former
solicitor-general Justin Gleeson QC. Talk about pulling out the big guns.

Gleeson is among the very best. That means he is among the dearest.

So, in order to nail, humiliate, condemn, banish and isolate Israel
Folau, Rugby Australia are sparing no expense with money they do not have.

The rugby family must ask again, when are this blazer mob going to do
the decent thing and resign or be thrown out?

They may be in office but they are not in power.

We have the unthinkable, where highly paid players are publicly saying
who they will play with and who they won’t.

Not if I was coaching they wouldn’t. They would be told simply and
emphatically that they do not pick the team.

Remember, this is the same board of Rugby Australia who axed the Western
Force in 2017 to save $6 million when Andrew Forrest was offering the
same administration $50m.

Now, Raelene Castle, on more than $800,000 a year, backed by the board,
has decided that Israel Folau will not play for Australia.

To hell with the tribunal. She will be forced to pay out his $4m
contract. This is really smart stuff.

On the eve of the Rugby World Cup, the administration is at war with its
best player; and at war with players from the Pacific islands, who
comprise almost half of the Australian team.

The place has gone mad.

Israel Folau could lose his job for quoting the Bible.

Sharing an excerpt from the world’s highest selling book is now
discrimination, even though there is not a skerrick of evidence that
Israel discriminated against anyone.

As Jennifer Oriel wrote in this paper this week, "corporate Australia is
turning its back on free speech. Big business is Big Brother. The battle
between Australia’s sporting codes (remember the chairman of the
Australian Rugby League Commission suggested Israel was a poor cultural
fit for his game) looks increasingly like cashed-up bullies hunting a
Christian."

Among the thousands of comments I have received on previous articles,
Chris summed it up best, "these are the defining issues of our time’’.

"Do we keep quiet while the institutions and sport we love are torn
apart by virtue-seeking fools … they are in the minority … time to take
a stand Australians.

"Thank god, Jesus and Christianity for giving us your voice, Alan.
Sometimes it feels like a lone voice in the swell of the PC media.

"But the soon to be not-silent majority stand with you."

Former prime minister Tony Abbott says it best: "If the silent majority
stay silent they can’t expect to remain a majority."

Tomorrow, at the tribunal, it is the virtue-signalling administrators of
Australian Rugby who must be silenced for good, not Israel Folau.

(2) Pacific Islands Rugby Players (1/3 of Australia's team) unite behind
Israel Folau

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-05-01/israel-folau-wallabies-player-divide-over-religious-beliefs/11061858

Israel Folau case sparks potential Wallabies player divide as Taniela
Tupou weighs in

Updated Wed at 6:50pm

Rugby Australia is facing a potential Polynesian player mutiny after one
of the Wallabies' most exciting prospects claimed all Pacific Islanders
"might as well just be sacked" owing to their religious beliefs.

Key points:

Taniela Tupou responded to comments from Reds captain Samu Kerevi
relating to a religious post over Easter

Israel Folau faces a Rugby Australia hearing on Saturday over his comments

A third of Australia's last Test line-up of 2018 had a Polynesian
background

Days out from Israel Folau's attempt to save his multi-million-dollar
career at a Rugby Australia (RA) code of conduct hearing, Queensland
Reds and Wallabies hooker Taniela Tupou took to Facebook to express his
support for the under-fire superstar.

"Seriously ... Might as well sack me and all the other Pacific Islands
rugby players around the world because we have the same Christian
beliefs," Tupou posted late on Tuesday night.

"I will never apologise for my faith and what I believe in, religion had
nothing to do with rugby anyways... #TYJ"

Tupou, who rose to prominence as a schoolboy player in Auckland and
whose signing with Rugby Australia in 2014 was seen as a significant
boost to the side, has earned himself the nickname "Tongan Thor" thanks
to his incredible strength on the rugby field.

The 22-year-old Reds prop attached a link to an earlier post from fellow
Wallabies teammate and Reds captain Samu Kerevi, who apologised after
taking to Instagram at Easter thanking "Jesus for dying on the cross for
me. I love you Jesus#".

"I appreciate the kind messages from everyone," Kerevi posted.

"But to be clear I'm not apologising for my faith in Jesus Christ my
saviour.

"God will always come first in my life and many other professional rugby
players.

"Today, I felt things were taken out of context in regards to certain
articles.

"I do not feel obliged to apologise to people because of the situation
happening right now with a brother of mine."

Last month RA issued Folau with a breach of contract notice following
his latest round of controversial posts.

The three-time John Eales Medallist had been previously warned by RA
about his social media conduct, and the game's governing body
subsequently announced its intention to terminate his contract.

Folau was stood down by the NSW Waratahs in the wake of an Instagram
post claiming hell awaited "drunks, homosexuals, adulterers, liars,
fornicators, thieves, atheists and idolators" unless they repent and
turn to Jesus Christ.

Folau will front a three-person tribunal — comprising chair John West,
RA's representative Kate Eastman SC and the Rugby Union Players
Association (RUPA)-appointed John Boultbee SC — on Saturday.

However, Folau has since received backing from England star Billy
Vunipola, who liked Folau's post and called for people to "live their
lives how God intended".

Brisbane-born Vunipola was himself slapped with a warning by his English
club Saracens over his defence of Folau's post and handed a "formal
warning" by the English Rugby Football Union.

Vunipola was roundly booed by Munster fans in the European Cup
semi-final the weekend after his comments, while England teammate James
Haskell said that he was "disappointed" that people had liked Folau's post.

Haskell had earlier described Folau's post as "spreading hate" and "the
biggest load of s*** I have ever read".

However, Vunipola's England teammates, Manu Tuilagi, Nathan Hughes,
Courtney Lawes — who wrote his own post defending Vunipola's right to
express his opinion — and Wales backrower Taulupe Faletau, all "liked"
Vunipola's social media post.

A third of Australia's last Test line-up of 2018 had a Polynesian background

ABC/AAP

(3) Folau hearing: Any car that arrived or exited was swamped

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/rugby-union/questions-outweigh-answers-on-opening-day-of-israel-folau-hearing-20190504-p51k3n.html

Questions outweigh answers as Folau hearing extends to second day

By Tom Decent

May 4, 2019 — 7.39pm

It was billed as one of the most intriguing and landmark days in
Australian rugby and it certainly didn’t live up to the hype.

We knew a verdict by close of business on Saturday was unlikely in
Wallabies star Israel Folau’s code of conduct hearing – for putting on
social media that homosexuals were destined for hell – but that didn’t
stop anyone with an opinion on the issue pushing for hourly updates.

They received bad news as darkness set in – that Folau's hearing is set
to drag on to Sunday and a verdict won't be available by the end of the
weekend.

However, the Herald understands an announcement could come on Sunday
outlining the level of Folau's breach, without a punishment itself.

It was radio silence as some of the best legal minds in the country
picked apart each other’s arguments upstairs at Rugby Australia
headquarters in Moore Park on a glorious Saturday afternoon.

The public are eager for a result but given what is at stake, there is
an understandable reluctance to rush to a conclusion that could see
Folau’s multimillion-dollar deal ripped up for a social media post more
than three weeks ago that has been the talk of not only Australia but
other sections of the globe.

Folau is comfortable putting his views in the public domain but did his
best to escape a posse of cameras as he arrived at 9am for a potential
landmark hearing that could end up in court if – as expected – both
sides continue to appeal.

A couple of news crews set up camp at 7am, desperate to get a shot of
the most polarising figure in Australian sport arrive for D-Day.

There were false starts. Everyone was jumpy. Getting the shot was
imperative.

Just like an opposition winger would say to Folau after he had leaped
onto their back and taken a high-flying mark before crossing for another
try: "It all happened so quickly."

A ritzy black Audi whizzed through flashes of lights and
shoulder-to-shoulder journalists down into the underground car park.

Folau sat in the back seat and there were no brilliant shots of him but
it mattered little. He had fronted to face the music, despite some
private concerns he wouldn’t do so.

The juxtaposition came when RA boss Raelene Castle and NSW Rugby chief
executive Andrew Hore opted to stroll past the cameras and through the
front doors before a 9.30 start time.

This was certainly not how they wanted to be spending their Saturday,
dealing with an issue that has threatened to send the code close to
broke, should Folau want a pay-out.

If there had been a fly on the wall in the room of the hearing, it
wouldn’t have got out of the building alive, such was the appetite for
any new information.

Sandwiches and muffins provided for the media outside made up for what
was a long day for everyone.

There was plenty of waiting. Any car that arrived or exited was swamped.
Even the building cleaner was made to feel somewhat like a Hollywood
A-lister.

Aside from the usual suspects, the departure of Wallabies coach Michael
Cheika in his own car triggered more camera clicks just before 1pm. He
was not expected to front up and give evidence but that is exactly what
he did.

RA had made it clear a verdict was not expected on the weekend and said
Folau would not be present on Sunday. Later, however, it was announced
that the player would be there.

Folau's car zoomed off down Moore Park Road and into the night once it
had edged past more flashes and clicks.

It might acutally be the one of the last times he ever sets foot in the
building. Time will tell.

(4) Rugby Australia faces financial ruin over Israel Folau case

https://www.news.com.au/sport/rugby/rugby-australia-reportedly-face-financial-ruin-in-israel-folau-case/news-story/ade87e84d652ec3fc644265588556a40

Rugby Australia reportedly face financial ruin in Israel Folau case

Israel Folau’s war with Rugby Australia has concluded for the day, but
those hanging for a quick result will have to wait days.

MAY 4, 20196:32PM

Israel Folau’s war with Rugby Australia has concluded for the day, but a
result will not eventuate from the Saturday hearing this weekend as the
polarising fullback attempts to save his career.

Rugby Australia (RA) announced its intent to terminate Folau’s
employment over a breach of contract claim following an April 10
Instagram post that RA claims is a "high level" breach of the sport’s
"inclusiveness" commitment as outlined in the players’ code of conduct,
agreed to by the players’ union and RA officials in the collective
bargaining agreement.

"It is not expected that any further witnesses will be called to provide
evidence on Sunday," a statement from Rugby Australia read.

"The panel is not expected to deliver its decision tomorrow."

Rugby Australia has nothing short of the code’s survival on the line in
Folau’s all-encompassing case.

Folau argues it is unlawful for the governing body to have moved to tear
up his four-year contract, reportedly worth $4 million.

Folau arrived in St Leonards on Sydney’s North Shore just after 9am
(AEST) to commence what will be a lengthy hearing.

According to a report in The Daily Telegraph on Saturday, the future of
rugby in Australia could be decided if Folau is successful in his
challenge of RA’s move to rip up his contract.

The report claims Rugby Australia is privately bracing for a $12 million
financial loss for the upcoming season — pushing the code to the brink
of collapsing.

RA would face "financial ruin" if it is forced to face a projected $8
million loss and pay out the full $4 million owed to Folau in his
long-term contract.

According to The Australian, the legal fees and costs associated with
fighting Folau in a conduct hearing and expected follow-up legal
challenges through the courts will also cost RA at least $100,000.

A full $12 million hit would leave RA "on the precipice of insolvency,"
according to The Daily Telegraph’s Jamie Pandaram.

   Folau fiasco could leave Rugby Australia broke

(5) 'Rugby Australia failed to get Folau to sign off on the social media
clause in his playing contract'

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/rugby/news-story/4f889dbe2287251986198cc6a64ed215
…

Wallabies coach Michael Cheika has made an intriguing appearance at
Rugby Australia (RA) headquarters in Sydney as Israel Folau fights to
save his career.

Cheika wasn’t expected to make an appearance at the hearing, and
certainly not soon.

But after saying three weeks ago that he wouldn’t be able to pick Folau
for Australia again "as it stands right now", Cheika’s sighting on
Saturday raised the prospect of a possible peace offering.

Folau arrived at the landmark hearing at 9am, his Audi piercing a posse
of TV cameras, photographers and reporters as it made its way through to
the underground car park.

The dual international is being represented by high-profile solicitor
Ramy Quatami and barrister Adam Casselden, who recently worked on the
coronial inquest into the murder-suicide of Sydney family Maria Lutz and
her children Ellie and Martin at the hands of their father Fernando
Manrique in 2016.

AMATEUR BLUNDER COULD SAVE FOLAU MILLIONS

Israel Folau has reportedly been armed with a legal loophole that could
see his legal team tear down Rugby Australia’s argument that he breached
the terms of his contract significantly.

Preliminary, widespread reports initially claimed Folau’s contract was
terminated on the grounds that his Instagram post breached the terms of
his individual playing contract and the players’ code of conduct.

It was reported that Folau’s 2018 contract extension included a
personalised social media clause that held Folau to a certain standard
of acceptable public comments after he last year caused uproar across
Australian rugby with social media commentary ahead of the marriage
equality vote.

It was reported at the time that major sponsor Qantas had threatened to
walk away from its multimillion-dollar deal with Rugby Australia unless
action was taken to discipline the 30-year-old star.

Fresh reports, however, claim Rugby Australia failed to get Folau to
sign off on the social media clause in his playing contract, weakening
the governing body’s claim that Folau’s social media post constitutes a
high-level breach of his contract.

Rugby Australia will only be able to lawfully rip up Folau’s contract if
the hearing’s independent panel rules Folau’s actions seriously violated
the terms of the deal.

Pandaram told Fox Sports News on Saturday that Rugby Australia took the
extraordinary step of trying to go back to Folau to sign off on the
social media clause after he had already signed his contract extension.

"It looks very bad for them," Pandaram said of the failure to include
the clause in Folau’s new contract.

"You’re talking about a guy who showed he was a liability in the social
media space last year, and then you go and sign him up for four years on
a $4 million deal. You want to make sure you have everything in place.
You need to dot your I’s and cross your T’s across everything. They didn’t.

"They went back and said, ‘Oh, we need you to sign this with the
additional social media clauses,’ and Israel Folau said, ‘Na, I’ve
already signed a contract’. That’s what Israel Folau’s lawyers will use."

HOW RUGBY’S FUTURE WILL BE DECIDED

The fate of both Folau and RA now rests in the hands of the three-person
panel of chair John West QC, RA representative Kate Eastman SC and the
Rugby Union Players’ Association- elected John Boultbee.

RA has already declared the p`anel is not expected to deliver a decision
on the weekend.

A final verdict could in fact take months or even years to reach,
according to an employment law expert.

Giuseppe Carabetta, from the University of Sydney Business School,
described the complex case as a "perfect storm of conflicting religious,
corporate sponsorship and moral issues".

Folau, 30, was issued with a "high-level" breach notice last month for
taking to Instagram to proclaim "hell awaits drunks, homosexuals,
adulterers, liars, fornicators, thieves, atheists and idolators" unless
they repent and turn to Jesus.

The three-times John Eales Medallist had been warned last year following
a similar post claiming gays were destined for hell, before signing a
rich contract extension in October.

Folau and his barrister Adam Casselden will argue that RA did not
include a specific social media clause in his new contract and that his
posts were merely passages from the Bible and not directly his words.

RA, to be represented by Justin Gleeson SC, is expected to argue that,
regardless of no such apparent clause, Folau seriously breached the
governing body’s broader code of conduct policy and its inclusion policy.

Point 1.3 of the players’ code of conduct policy says: "Treat everyone
equally, fairly and with dignity regardless of gender or gender
identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity, cultural or religious
background, age or disability. Any form of bullying, harassment or
discrimination has no place in Rugby".

If the tribunal determines that Folau has in fact breached his contract,
the panel must then decide if the breach was severe enough to terminate
his career. The losing party will have until 72 hours after any decision
is handed down to appeal.

And even after that, the matter could well drag on for months — or years.

— with AAP