Wallabies star Samu Kerevi accuses Rugby Australia of barring him from supporting Israel Folau – Daily Mail

Wallabies star Samu Kerevi has dropped the bombshell allegation that Rugby Australia barred him and other players from publicly supporting Israel Folau and his homophobic post that said ‘hell awaits homosexuals’ in 2019.

The 29-year-old, who is a practicing Christian and former Fijian refugee, alleges in a soon-to-be released documentary about Folau that players were gagged from supporting the ex-Wallaby’s sentiments – an instruction he ignored.

Folau ignited a storm of controversy when he posted a homophobic comment on his Instagram, despite being warned by Rugby Australia not to do so. 

He was subsequently sacked and received a payout reported to be worth more than $3million, with his dismissal angering Kerevi and some of his Christian teammates. 

The battle between religious freedom and overt discrimination and abuse of same-sex Australians made headlines around the world. 

Folau’s post came just after Australia’s successful gay marriage vote, something Rugby Australia supported via a rainbow logo, much to Kerevi’s consternation. 

‘No one came up to us [Polynesian players] and asked us if we support it,’ Kerevi said in the documentary, which is set to air on the ABC on November 21.

‘You know, no one asked us our opinion on it. They just said, you know, Rugby Australia supports gay marriage.’

Folau’s post, which included an interpretation of Bible verse (1 Corinthians 6: 9-10) said: ‘WARNING: Drunks, homosexuals, adulterers, liars, fornicators, thieves, atheists and idolaters, HELL AWAITS YOU, repent!’ 

It’s believed the fact he used the words warning and hell instead of just posting the Bible verse were the final nail in his coffin. 

Even more controversially, Daily Mail Australia also revealed at the time that Folau told worshippers at his church that the destructive bushfires and drought that devastated much of the country in late 2019 was as a result of gay marriage being legalised.

‘They’ve legalised same-sex marriage… going against the laws that God says,’ Folau said in a sermon. 

‘Look how rapid these bushfires, these droughts, all these things they’ve come in a short period of time – you think it’s a coincidence?’ 

Despite Rugby Australia’s views, Kerevi ‘liked’ Folau’s post, which is still up on his Instagram, and alleges he and others who supported the comments were not allowed to make a public comment. 

‘We got told from our media teams not to say anything about supporting Izzy or saying anything at all,’ he said.

‘But after those coming days it was everyone that didn’t support him was all over the news. They were to be interviewed. They were allowed to say that they don’t support the message.’

The documentary will reportedly spend a significant amount of time dealing with what Kerevi and other Polynesian/Christian players thought of the situation, which they believe showed double standards by Rugby Australia.

At the time, Kerevi posted on his Instagram that he would not apologise for his faith, writing he ‘disagreed with homosexual beliefs/lifestyle choices’. He certainly didn’t want to sport a rainbow logo.

The controversial situation eerily repeated itself this year when seven Polynesian Manly Sea Eagles players refused to wear the club’s rainbow jersey.

Josh Aloiai echoed similar sentiments to Kerevi recently when he told Channel 9: ‘We (seven Manly boycotters) personally don’t want to live that way or endorse it (homosexuality)’. 

On the other side is the coin is the fact homosexuality is rooted in science rather than being a so-called lifestyle choice, with long-accepted facts highlighting that there is a biological model that causes sexual orientation.

Then-coach Michael Cheika admitted it was a tough situation for all involved, as Australians all over the country clashed over whether gay people should be allowed to marry each other. 

‘That was a really difficult time for the team. Really difficult,’ Cheika said in the documentary.

‘I was confronted in the street aggressively, many times by people. I imagine that was happening to players as well.’

Either way, the situation is yet another example of the murky world of sporting organisations meddling in what many are seeing as cultural wars.

Multi-millionaire cricketers have pushed $40million sponsorships with energy companies to end over climate agendas, while Netball Australia recently lost its $15million partnership with mining magnate Gina Rinehart over something her father had said almost 40 years ago. 

One thing Rugby Australia will be very keen to do is get Kerevi, who has played 41 Tests, back on the park ahead of next year’s World Cup.

The centre, seen by some as one of, if not the, best centre in world rugby, won’t play for the Wallabies this season after he was released to represent Australia in Rugby Sevens at the Tokyo Olympics.

He incurred a serious knee injury, and has yet to take the park again either in green and gold or for his Japanese rugby club, Suntory. 

To be quite honest, it is hard to see the Wallabies as a threat in France for next year’s World Cup if they can’t get players like Kerevi fit and firing in the face of the increasingly skilled and powerful European teams. 

Daily Mail Australia contacted Rugby Australia about Kerevi’s allegations, with a spokesperson confirming they weren’t in a position to comment.

‘As the management of both RA and the Wallabies has changed completely since then, we’re not really in a position to comment on something from four years ago,’ said the spokesperson. 

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