Former Wallaby Israel Folau will return to the international rugby union for the first time since 2018, after being nominated for the Tonga national team for the Pacific Nations Cup and qualifying for the July World Cup.
Key points:
- Israel Folau was sacked by Rugby Australia in 2019
- Folau has been playing for the Japanese rugby club for Shining Arcs
- Tonga has named Folau and former All Black Charles Piutau to its international selection
“It will bring a lot of experience to the table,” Tonga coach Toutai Kefu told ABC Radio Australia.
“His presence will be one of the most exciting factors we look forward to.”
Folau played 73 games for the Wallabies before Rugby Australia terminated his contract in May 2019 for breaching his code of conduct.
Folau later took Rugby Australia to court for unfair dismissal, which resulted in a multimillion-dollar deal.
However, he can now represent his parents’ homeland, Tonga, due to changes to World Rugby eligibility laws.
“It would have been at least a couple of years ago that we started having conversations about him possibly representing Ikale Tahi,” Kefu said.
“It was pretty informal back then, it was just an informal talk, and then, as his three-year parallel approached, when it was about to end, there was a chance he would play Sevens to qualify. for us and I was open to that.
Israel Folau played 73 Test matches for the Wallabies. (AAP: Dave Hunt)
“But then, fortunately, they changed that rule in November and he no longer had to go down that path. All he had to do was endure those three years and he would qualify right away.”
Folau is currently playing club rugby for the Shining Arcs in Japan under former Waratahs coach Rob Penney.
“He has a whole new set of skills that we hadn’t had before,” Kefu said.
Tonga has also appointed former All Blacks defender Charles Piutau to its roster in accordance with the amended eligibility rules.
“It looks like things are coming together at the right time,” Kefu said.
“We’ve got even more people to join the squad, so it’ll only get better.”
Posted 8 hours, 8 hours ago, Friday, May 27, 2022 at 1:42 AM, updated 1 hour, 1 hour ago, Friday, May 27, 2022 at 8:59 AM