London (AFP)
Australian rugby star Israel Folau, the author of homophobic remarks that earned him a suspension in his country, expressed his gratitude for the Catalan Dragons, the French franchise of the Super League of rugby league, which comes to recruit him.
"I am so happy to find the sport that I practiced in my adolescence and at the beginning of my career," Folau told British television Sky Sports on Tuesday evening.
"It has been ten years since I played XIII, I am grateful to the Dragons for giving me the chance to be part of a great club and a great team," he added.
Evangelical Christian, Folau had been suspended by the Australian Rugby Federation after causing a scandal in April 2019 by writing on his Instagram account: "Drunkards, homosexuals, adulterers, liars, fornicators, thieves, atheists, idolaters, Hell awaits you. Repent, only Jesus can save you. "
Folau, 30, signed up for a year with the Dragons, the only French team participating in the Super League, the English rugby league championship. He began his career in this discipline, before moving on to XV in 2013 and quickly making a name for himself. He registered 37 tries in 73 appearances in the Wallabies' jersey.
His new coach, Englishman Steve McNamara, admitted that he expected Folau's recruitment to be controversial.
"After spending a lot of time talking to her, we got to know her and we had the guarantees we wanted, it allowed us to make our decision and to give it a new chance," said the coach. dragons.
Folau's arrival in the Super League has sparked tension among the presidents of the other franchises who were scheduled to attend a meeting on Wednesday in Salford, in the north of England.
Hull's English team president Neil Hudgell has warned his Dragons counterpart Bernard Guasch that he could sue the French franchise if Folau's arrival were to have a negative financial impact.
© 2020 AFP