“The Rugby Australia integrity unit has been engaged on the matter tonight.” The controversy comes less than a week after Folau became Super Rugby’s all-time top try scorer with his performance in the Waratahs’ loss to the Blues. On a week off due to a round nine bye, Folau took to Twitter and Instagram with his religious views. “The devil has blinded so many people in this world, REPENT and turn away from your evil ways. Turn to Jesus Christ who will set you free,” he wrote on Wednesday night above a screenshot of a news story covering the legislation passed in Tasmanian parliament that made optional in birth certificates a declaration of gender.

A short time later on Instagram he listed “homosexuals” as one of eight groups of people for whom “Hell awaits”, following it with a Bible extract and the commentary: “Those that are living in Sin will end up in hell unless you repent. Jesus Christ loves you and is giving you time to turn away from your sin and come to him.” It is almost exactly a year since Folau plunged rugby into turmoil with a similar sentiment, stating gay people were “destined for hell”. The difference then was that some argued he had been goaded into the comment by a question from another user. On Wednesday his posts were unambiguous. The incident last year split opinion between supporters of Folau’s right to voice his beliefs and those who believed RA should have sanctioned him for comments deemed offensive and upsetting to large groups in the community.

Loading It put Folau’s contract negotiations on ice for many months, but the Waratahs fullback ultimately re-committed to Australian Rugby for four more years. The issue will be a major headache for RA boss Raelene Castle, who claimed the navigation of Folau’s first transgressions as a major victory in her first year in charge. She told media at the time: “On the one hand you’re dealing with a human rights issue and on the other hand you’re dealing with a freedom of speech [issue]. There’s someone’s right to express their views, whether it be religious or otherwise, and I think the test is whether it’s done in a respectful way. So that’s the measure we’ll continue to apply.” Folau’s latest comments are arguably no more offensive but they do appear to be a brazen flouting of an understanding the parties appeared to reach late last year, being that Folau tone down his public expressions of his faith to the extent that they not wilfully court controversy.