RA should pick Israel Folau for Lions match to help heal division: An open letter to Phil Waugh

Dear Phil, you’ve already done a great deal to begin turning Australian rugby around.

The energy is back. There’s optimism again — our Super Rugby teams are winning in New Zealand (so far), the Lions tour is generating excitement, and for many in my generation, there’s genuine hope we might finally reclaim the Bledisloe.

You and I played in the same national schools championships more than 25 years ago. Some of us aspiring forwards never made it far, but we take pride in the fact that you, George Smith, and David Lyons would go on to form the backbone of the 2003 World Cup Final team.

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It was a golden era for Australian rugby. You’ve remained a lifelong servant of the game. Many of us have taken different paths — into corporate, government, or academic life — but we remain deeply connected to rugby.

It’s from that place — as a lifelong supporter of the Wallabies and now President of the Australian Association for the Study of Religion — that I write to you to propose something important, and perhaps redemptive: that Rugby Australia consider selecting Israel Folau for a farewell game.

It might be a joint Australia-New Zealand side against the Lions. Or, perhaps more fittingly, part of a First Nations and Pasifika match.

Let’s not sugar-coat it. There is no place in the game for intolerance. When Folau posted messages condemning drunks, idolaters, atheists, and most hurtfully, homosexuals, he alienated many Australians. He caused real pain, especially to LGBTQ+ people who have found community and belonging through rugby — from grassroots clubs to teams like the Sydney Convicts and the international Bingham Cup, named after a 9/11 hero who was also a gay rugby player. They felt betrayed.

But it is also true that Folau’s post reflected the theological beliefs held by many conservative Christian men — particularly within the Pasifika community. The Manly Sea Eagles pride jersey boycott is just a recent example. There is a deeper cultural and theological disconnect here that hasn’t been addressed.

The fallout from the Folau saga has left lasting wounds — not just for him, but for Australian rugby. Trust was broken, particularly among Pasifika players who saw his exile as a message that their faith — when spoken aloud — was not welcome. It was to be seen and not heard.

I recently returned from New Zealand, where I presented at an international conference on freedom of religion and belief, speaking on the intersection of faith, masculinity, and rugby in the Pacific.

What my research confirms is this: in a ruthless professional system that scouts Pasifika boys young, burns them out early, and often discards them, faith isn’t incidental — it’s core to their identity, strength, and resilience.

We celebrate that faith when it suits us — in hymns sung before games, in post-try gestures to the sky, in the power of the haka. These performances are welcome, even encouraged — as long as they remain symbolic, non-verbal, and don’t clash with commercial interests. Religion, in this context, is something Pasifika men can show — but not speak.

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The moment they speak — especially when their views challenge dominant norms — they shift from heroes to liabilities. From cultural icons to “divisive figures.” Yet their faith doesn’t change; only the response does.

I’m not suggesting Folau’s words were acceptable. They weren’t. But the response — swift punishment rather than engagement — has deepened divisions. What was needed then, and is still needed now, is leadership that seeks dialogue over exile, understanding over outrage.

Look at the Australian cricket team. Pat Cummins was ridiculed in some quarters for asking that no alcohol appear in a team photo out of respect for Usman Khawaja. Some labelled it “un-Australian.” But that small gesture sent a powerful message — of respect, inclusion, and quiet strength. Under Cummins’ leadership, the team has flourished.

Folau has paid a steep price. Whatever the legal settlement, he lost millions in earning potential and the honour of finishing his Wallabies career. But Australian rugby has also paid a price — a relational and cultural cost that continues to haunt the game and undermine our success. It’s been a lose-lose.

The announcement of a First Nations–Pasifika match is a promising step, a sign of genuine respect for the diversity that defines our game. But there is a unique opportunity to go further — to model reconciliation by selecting Folau. Not as an endorsement of his views, but as an act of healing and recognition that the game, at its best, is bigger than any one controversy.

It would send a powerful message — that rugby can hold space for difference without condoning discrimination. That redemption is possible. That we are mature enough to face our own complexities.

Rugby is the greatest game in the world not only because of what happens on the field, but because of the values it upholds: courage, respect, inclusivity, and community. This upcoming Lions tour offers not just a chance to restore pride in the jersey for all who play. in it, but to begin healing one of the deepest divisions in our game.

Let’s take it.

Sincerely,

A/Prof Josh Roose

President, Australian Association for the Study of Religion

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