Netball Australia have released a statement saying no action will be taken against player Maria Folau after she posted links to the GoFundMe campaign of her husband, rugby player Israel Folau.
Netball Australia and Suncorp Super Netball said they remained committed to creating an inclusive, welcoming and supportive places for people to play and watch netball, but they saw no need to take any action against Folau who plays for the South Australian team, The Thunderbirds.
A statement was also released by the South Australian branch of the organisation and the team saying their goal was to create an environment free of judgements about sexuality, gender, race, age and religious beliefs.
Netball SA said they did not agree with Maria Folau and her husband’s stance on homosexuality, but she had not breached the leagues social media policy by sharing the GoFundMe campaign.
Folau’s husband, Israel, has launched a campaign to raise three million dollars to cover his expected legal costs as he prepares to take Rugby Australia to court over the termination of his contract.
The amount of money being sought by Israel Folau has been questioned with many legal professionals questioning why millions of dollars might be required for his legal action. To date the campaign has raised over $670,000.
Former Australian Netball captain Liz Ellis said the position being taken by Netball Australia was not good enough.
“There is no room for homophobia in our game. Anyone who is seen to support or endorse homophobia is not welcome. As much as I love watching Maria Folau play netball I do not want my sport endorsing the views of her husband.” Ellois posted to social media.
OIP Staff
