Rugby Australia has hit out at former international Israel Folau after his letter which included details of his code of conduct hearing and accused the body of leaking details was made public.
Sydney’s Daily Telegraph ran several stories last week which included intimate details of the tribunal hearing. It came after Folau was issued with notice to terminate his contract due to homophobic social media posts. The 30-year-old posted an image saying that "hell awaits" for gay people.
It was not the first time that the Australian international had expressed such a belief.
In a letter to Rugby Australia, which has since been leaked to the Telegraph, Folau asked the body of "lies".
I would like to know why Rugby Australia has not managed to maintain the integrity of its processes and ensure that information was kept private and confidential.
For example, I am not 'sick of rugby' and whoever told the media that I am is telling lies.
In the now leaked letter, he argued that all details were meant to be "closed and private".
Per Stuff24, Rugby Australia have responded with a statement of their own accusing Folau of disrupting the sport.
Rugby Australia has acted with complete professionalism and integrity at all times through the process in which Mr Folau was found by an independent three-member tribunal panel to have made multiple, serious breaches of the Professional Players Code of Conduct.
“While we will continue to respond to any legal action as required and will continue to defend the values that underpin our game and the work done by the hard-working volunteers, we will not engage in a running media commentary.
