Israel Folau’s GoFundMe page has been shut down for violating the site’s rules
The devout Christian rugby player is in a legal battle after being fired by Rugby Australia for homophobic comments
By Steve Brown
Words: Steve Brown
Israel Folau’s attempts to persuade his remaining fans to help fund his legal battle with Rugby Australia have been thwarted.
The Australian rugby player was one of the highest paid sportsmen and was on a $5million contract with Wallabies.
However, after his ongoing attack on the LGBTQ community on social media – with his posting Hell awaits all gay people – Rugby Australia took action against the rugby star and terminated his contract.
But Folau deemed the move by RA as being discriminatory against him and started a legal battle to sue them claiming no one should be persecuted for their beliefs.
Last week, Folau urged fans to help him pay his $3million legal bills – despite being on a $5million contract.
However, despite receiving around A$760, 000 (£414,000) in donations, GoFundMe have now shut down his page saying it violated their rules and all donations will be refunded.
Nicola Britton told the Sydney Morning Herald: “As a company, we are absolutely committed to the fight for equality for LGBTIQ+ people and fostering an environment of inclusivity,” said spokeswoman Nicola Britton.
“While we welcome GoFundMe’s engaging in diverse civil debate, we do not tolerate the promotion of discrimination or exclusion.”