Wallabies star Joseph Suaalii and Israel Folau had a happy reunion in Japan this week.
In a symbolic moment for Australian rugby, Folau hosted the Wallabies at the Urayasu D-Rocks’ facilities outside Tokyo, where he and Samu Kerevi are based.
Folau, a 73-Test Wallaby, had his contract terminated in 2019 after posting a social media meme that claimed “hell awaits” homosexuals. His dismissal led to a costly legal battle, with Rugby Australia eventually reaching a multimillion-dollar settlement.
Folau switched allegiances to Tonga, though injury kept him out of the 2023 World Cup.
For Suaalii, however, the encounter in Japan was about something far more personal. As a schoolboy, he met Folau during a Wallabies camp – a moment that left a lasting impression.
“I actually met Israel when I was 14, I really looked up to him when I was younger,” Suaalii said previously. “For a young kid, I really wanted to ask a lot of questions. I feel like that has been one of my strengths, just learning. And I feel like Israel was someone I could look up to and ask questions to. Every now and then I do catch up with him, and he’s a great mentor in my life.
“Izzy is a man that doesn’t speak a lot, but it’s more his actions that I’ve picked up on. He’s a great man first of all and I think that’s the biggest thing I’ve learnt – to always be a great man outside of footy.”
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Suaalii, named Rugby Australia’s 2025 Rookie of the Year, is expected to start in Saturday’s Test against the Brave Blossoms at Japan National Stadium.
The post Suaalii reunites with ‘great mentor’ Folau appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Wallabies star Joseph Suaalii and Israel Folau had a happy reunion in Japan this week.
The post Suaalii reunites with ‘great mentor’ Folau appeared first on SA Rugby magazine. Read More
