Rugby player Israel Folau has increases the amount of damages he is seeking from Rugby Australia from $10million to $14million.
New court documents show that Folau is now seeking an additional $4million from Rugby Australia.
The documents also claim the Wallabies would have put in a “superior performance” if Folau was selected for the 2019 Rugby World Cup and he could have possibly captained “a trophy-winning Wallabies team”.
Folau was terminated by the sport’s governing body after he posted a message to social media listing people who he considered who be going to hell unless they embrace Christianity, among them were homosexuals and fornicators.
Since he’s been away from the game Folau has continued to voice his religious beliefs including a recent sermon about how same sex marriage had lead to droughts and NSW’s deadly bushfires.
In the new documents Folau’s legal team claim there was a good chance he would have become the captain of Australia’s nation team, and as such his post career earnings would have been greater than originally anticipated.
The updated claim also alleges that one of the Rugby Australia panel members that reviewed the termination of Folau’s contract was biased because she had previously had involvement with LGBTIQ+ related organisations.
The updated claim says Kate Eastman, SC was a co-founder of the Australian Lawyers for Human Rights, an organisation Folau said had advocated for the LGBTI community. His legal team said this information, and Eastman’s involvement with other LGBTIQ+ and human rights related groups, should have been disclosed.
Folau raised over $2million dollars for his legal defence through a public appeal supported by the Australian Christian Lobby.
The ACL stood by Folau and defended his recent sermons when even some of his most ardent supporters criticised his comments. The groups Managing Director Martyn Iles said the media were the ones causing angst for people by simplifying what Folau was attempting to say.
“Sermons don’t lend themselves to quick soundbites, and the media’s attempts to paraphrase a sermon has caused some unnecessary angst,” Iles said, “For one thing, Israel did not claim to know that the current bushfires are God’s direct judgement for same-sex marriage.”
“Nobody knows God’s mind, nor do they understand ultimately why bad things happen,” Mr Iles added, “We do know that the Bible says God is sovereign over everything, and He is ‘our ever-present help in times of trouble.’ (Ps 46:1)”
OIP Staff
