Clive Palmer leads ‘persecuted’ Israel Folau’s rugby league comeback for Southport Tigers

Clive Palmer says he wants to help the ‘best rugby league or rugby union player in the world’ Israel Folau as he links up with the controversial star to bring him back to playing football.  

In a press conference on Friday morning Palmer introduced Folau as the newest member of the Southport Tigers, a local Gold Coast rugby league team. His two younger brothers currently play first grade for the club.

Folau has been banned from playing professional sport by a number of bodies including the Australian Rugby League and Australian Rugby Union for his public homophobic views.

When asked if he shared Folau’s anti-same-sex ideology, Palmer said he ‘didn’t know what his views were’ and hinted at mounting a legal challenge against his bans from respective codes. 

‘All I know is he’s placed on twitter a quote from the bible. I know the Bible is used every day, quoted across Australia for millions of Australians,’ Palmer said to reporters. 

‘I know when we go to parliament many parliamentarians refer to texts in the Bible. I know when you go to court you swear by putting your hand on the Bible.

‘It’s nothing extraordinary someone makes a quote from the Bible.’

Clive Palmer says he wants to help the ‘best rugby league or rugby union player in the world’ Israel Folau as he links up with the controversial star to bring him back to playing football

When asked if he shared Folau’s anti-same-sex ideology, Palmer said he ‘didn’t know what his views were’ and hinted at mounting a legal challenge against his bans from respective codes

Folau refused to comment directly on the homophobic social media posts that saw him kicked out of his rugby union contracts, saying he ‘stands by everything written in the Bible’

Folau, who started the press conference thanking his ‘lord and saviour Jesus Christ’, refused to comment directly on the homophobic social media posts that saw him kicked out of his rugby union contracts with the Wallabies and Waratahs, saying he ‘stands by everything written in the Bible’.

‘I stand as a Christian, I stand by the Bible and what the Bible says. Every written word that’s in that book I stand by that,’ he said in response to a question asking if he maintained his anti-same-sex views.

‘It’s clear, I stand by what it says. You’ve got to read the Bible in context.’  

Palmer says ‘religious freedom in this country is a fundamental right’ and said Folau would have ‘every cent, every dollar, every waking minute of his time’ if there were any legal objection to him playing for Southport or in his future ambitions to return to the NRL. 

‘We want an example where people of all faiths can play sport. Religious freedom is a fundamental right in this country,’ he said.

‘I’ve got some resources and if it got down to a legal battle I’m sure anyone opposing somebody on the basis of religious persecution would go down very seriously and pay damages. There’s no legal basis to not register him, he’s been cleared by the Broncos.’

Palmer says ‘religious freedom in this country is a fundamental right’ and said Folau would have ‘every cent, every dollar, every waking minute of his time’ if there were any legal objection to him playing for Southport

Folau will debut alongside his brothers next week against Southport’s rivals Burleigh Heads next week. He completed his first training session with the Tigers on Thursday

Palmer repeatedly maintained that the professional sporting codes have ‘no legal basis’ and lamented rugby league’s values being ‘lost’ as a result of pressure from sponsors.

‘My company has signed an agreement with Israel only for the Tigers as far as club football is concerned this year. As we know Israel is the best rugby player in the world, be it league or union. His record is second to none.’ 

Folau will debut alongside his brothers next week against Southport’s rivals Burleigh Heads next week. He completed his first training session with the Tigers on Thursday.

Folau said he doesn’t know where he will play; Palmer says he wants him to play fullback where he starred for the Waratahs and Wallabies. 

Israel Folau (pictured left) is set to return to rugby league with the backing of billionaire Clive Palmer

Folau (pictured, right) has been trying to return to the NRL in recent months after the St George Illawarra Dragons withdrew its application to sign the former footy star

The mining magnate is a patron of the Southport team and played wing for the club in the 1970s. 

The Leader of the United Australia Party also reportedly took out a front page advertisement in the paper that stated ‘Let Israel Folau play football’.

Folau has been trying to return to the NRL in recent months after the St George Illawarra Dragons withdrew its application to sign the former footy star amid fierce backlash from sponsors and fans.   

NRL CEO Andrew Abdo previously said the decision of the Queensland Rugby League to sign Falou was ‘not a matter for me to comment on’.

‘The QRL has an autonomous board and their own processes for registration,’ Mr Abdo said at the time. 

‘I’m not going to comment on their decision on whether or not a club puts forward a registration for him to play.’

Queensland Rugby League CEO Bruce Hatcher said the decision is ‘not up to us’.

‘Israel Folau isn’t looking for pocket money to play Intrust Super Cup,’ he said. 

‘If he were to be allowed back into playing the elite level of the game then that to me is an NRL issue. We look after Origin, not NRL club decisions.’ 

Folau was sacked by Rugby Australia in 2019 over homophobic social media posts that said ‘hell awaits drunks, homosexuals, adulterers, liars, fornicators, thieves, atheists and idolators’.

The former Wallabies star sued Rugby Australia demanding $14million in compensation and was granted an undisclosed sum in return.   

Folau (pictured right) was sacked by Rugby Australia in 2019 over homophobic social media posts