Israel Folau's hopes of playing for Australian amateur team Southport hits Dragons contract hurdle
Former Kangaroo and State of Origin centre Israel Folau is under contract with Catalans Dragons for 2021; the 32-year-old has lodged an application to the Queensland Rugby League to play in the local Gold Coast competition
Wednesday 26 May 2021 12:58, UK
Israel Folau's hopes of returning to rugby league at amateur club Southport were thwarted on Wednesday with Queensland authorities refusing his registration due to a contract issue.
The dual-code international is looking to play with his two brothers at Southport Tigers in the Gold Coast amateur competition, two years after he was sacked by Rugby Australia for social media posts deemed discriminatory by Australian rugby union's governing body.
The Queensland Rugby League (QRL) said on Wednesday it could not register Folau because he had not provided confirmation of his release from a contract with his previous team.
"The QRL cannot proceed with any registration approval until such time as the clearance is received," they said in a statement.
The Dragons declined to comment on the matter when approached by Sky Sports News, but confirmed Folau is under contract with the club for 2021.
Speaking last week, Catalans coach Steve McNamara said he was in the dark about Folau's plans to not return to France.
"I've not heard that," McNamara said on Thursday. "There is no change in the current situation as far as we're concerned.
"We have him registered as a player and, if his circumstances change and he was able to come back, we'd facilitate that. He's welcome back but at the minute it's not on the horizon."
The QRL said it would clear Folau to play at a "community rugby league level and no higher" once they received his clearance.
Folau's return has been backed by Southport's team patron Clive Palmer, a billionaire mining magnate who earlier this week threatened legal action against the QRL if it refused to register the 32-year-old.
The league said it was "astounded... that public commentary has included threats of protracted legal action".
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Folau played rugby league for Australia before switching to Australian Rules in 2011, jumping codes once again to rugby union in 2013.
A fundamentalist Christian, Folau had his Wallabies and Super Rugby deals terminated in 2019 after posting on social media that hell awaited "drunks, homosexuals, adulterers" and others.
A return to the top-flight National Rugby League with the St George Illawarra Dragons was scuppered in February after reports of negotiations sparked a backlash from LGBT rights groups, some fans and sponsors.
The QRL said previous social media comments made by Folau "do not align to the beliefs of the game, or the QRL".
