Gareth Thomas has described as "unbelievably unacceptable" recent comments made by Billy Vunipola regarding gay people.
The Saracens and England player earlier this month defended his liking of a post by Israel Folau in which it was said that "hell awaits" for gay people.
Vunipola wrote on Instagram: "There just comes a point when you insult what I grew up believing in that you just say enough is enough, what he’s saying isn’t that he doesn’t like or love those people. He’s saying how we live our lives needs to be closer to how God intended them to be. Man was made for woman to pro create that was the goal no?"
"As an openly gay man myself, I don't feel kindness and love from him agreeing with someone that I should go to hell"@gareththomas14 doesn't hold back as he assesses rugby's response to Billy Vunipola & Israel Folau's comments#C4rugby pic.twitter.com/EBhBmeN2HT
— Channel 4 Sport (@C4Sport) April 21, 2019
"To say that he means things with kindness and love," former Wales international Thomas told Channel 4, "as an openly gay man myself, I don't feel kindness and love from him agreeing with someone that I should go to hell."
For him to then apologise and the club make a statement - it's a very easy easy thing to say sorry, it's very difficult to mean it.
I feel it's a rugby-driven thing, it's a club-driven thing. Billy, even though he's defending his own words, his belief in those words hasn't changed even though he's made an apology. For me, nothing has really changed in Billy Vunipola's views.
I feel it's quite a feeble apology from Saracens and Billy to say that he only meant it in love and happiness towards people. The apology doesn't cut it. You see the reaction he got, that could become quite regular for him if he doesn't make what I feel should be a heartfelt apology.
"I felt a huge amount of sympathy towards Israel Folau in a sad way, that it was such an uneducated response," added Thomas.
"He's putting the words out there, they're not actually his words - he's living by those values if he's putting them out there."
You can listen to Thomas speaking on Channel 4 below.
"It was such an uneducated response..."@gareththomas14 speaks from the heart as he responds to Billy Vunipola and Israel Folau's recent comments#C4rugby pic.twitter.com/GTj2kdDQEv
— Channel 4 Sport (@C4Sport) April 21, 2019
Picture credit: Sportsfile
