44
THIS LIFE
G
ET
TY
IM
AG
ES
T
he Israel Folau saga demonstrates the
extent to which sport has expanded
beyond its white lines and fan bases.
It regularly breaks the confines of its
many codes with an ever-changing
cast of heroes and villains, winners
and losers and a capacity to generate
controversies that shine a not-always-flattering
light on society at large.
Consider the disparity between our media’s
coverage of Folau’s confrontation with his
employers and the Australian election campaign.
The former was almost impossible to avoid; the
latter was pretty hard to come by.
Go back a year and the news was dominated by
another Australian sports controversy: the fallout
from the so-called “Sandpapergate” scandal, which
involved members of the Australian men’s
cricket team tampering with the ball during a
test against South Africa in Cape Town in an
attempt to induce reverse swing.
At the time, there were suggestions that
disgraced captain Steve Smith and vice-
captain David Warner would never play for
Australia again, as much as anything because
their teammates didn’t want a bar of them.
However, after serving their bans,
the pair have been included in
the Australian squad for the
upcoming ICC Cricket
World Cup.Former Wallabies player Jeremy
Paul cited the softening of attitudes
towards the pair on the part of the
public, the media and, apparently, the
team as proof that, when the tumult
died down, Folau would be easily
reintegrated into the Wallabies.It’s probably academic, since
Rugby Australia has now terminated
Folau’s contract – although that could
be challenged in court – but the
situations are different. We’re told
Folau believes he has done nothing
wrong and is doing what God told
him to do, which is consistent with
his refusal to express regret or delete
the offending social-media post
warning homosexuals they were
bound for hell unless they renounced
their sinful ways. Smith and Warner
acknowledged their wrongdoing,
were tearfully apologetic and
remorseful and didn’t challenge the
punishments dished out to them.
Perhaps, too, there’s a growing
suspicion that Smith,
Warner and junior team
member Cameron
Bancroft took the
fall for not just
some of their
teammates,Burning his
bridges
The drama playing out in
Australian rugby is what
happens when competing
world views collide.
by Paul Thomas
SPORT
Sandpapergate:
David Warner, left,
and Steve Smith.Israel Folau:
believes he has
done nothing
wrong.