Folau opens up about faith, footy and why he’s staying put

Tokyo: Israel Folau has revealed he was close to walking away from rugby during the height of the storm over his anti-gay comments, but ultimately “enjoyed” the torrid period that crystallised his identity.

Speaking freely after a Wallabies fan event in the crowded Harajuku district of downtown Tokyo, Folau opened up about why he decided to make his longest commitment to Australian rugby, barely six months after bringing upon himself the wrath of fans, sponsors and rugby bosses with an Instagram comment that gay people were destined for hell.

“It’s a bit of a roller-coaster year, for me, more so off the field with what’s been happening but, to be quite honest, it might sound a bit crazy, but I kind of really enjoyed what was happening off the field,” he said.

“Not that it happened on purpose, but my identity is based around my faith in God. And I truly believe that from deep down inside, what was happening off the field, even though it was challenging and it was hard, it was actually moulding me into the person [I am] … and taught me a lot of things that I needed to learn, and I’m still learning now.

“Obviously a lot of people will say negative things about what was happening, but it taught me to actually love and forgive them for obviously not agreeing and that’s something that I’ve learnt to take on.”