RUGBY Australia CEO Raelene Castle says Israel Folau is “walking the line” after the Wallabies and Waratahs superstar’s latest controversial anti-gay Twitter post.

In what she described as the “singularly most difficult thing” she’s ever had to deal with in her career, Castle said it was a delicate act to balance the competing claims of what is a human rights issue against a freedom of speech issue.

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“In my career, this is the singularly most difficult thing I’ve ever had to deal with,” Castle said on Kick and Chase on Wednesday night. “And that’s because there is no black and white answer.

“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.”

On Tuesday, Folau posted a link to a YouTube sermon from an evangelist Christian who warns of “sexual perversions beyond description” and takes aim at same-sex marriage.

The 11-minute video from David Wilkerson, who died in 2011, preaches “we need to get right with god” while inter-cutting pictures of people with rainbow flags with fire, ticking clocks and rats caught in traps.

With great love i wanted to share this video in the hope that people watch it and think about it. Jesus is coming back soon and he wants us to turn to him through repentance and baptism in the name of Jesus Christ (Acts 2:38) please don't harden your heart https://t.co/PtDoPCQDco — Israel Folau (@IzzyFolau) May 7, 2018

Castle said she hadn’t spoken to Folau since his latest contentious Twitter post “but, as I said to him at the time I met with him, we will continue to be in a dialogue about this.”

Rugby Australia has opted not to sanction Folau amid ongoing backlash from sections of fans and fellow players, including All Blacks, and expression of concerns from major sponsors Qantas and Asics.

Castle said the views of the religious community in rugby need to be respected the same way that the views of the gay community also need to be protected, making it a complex issue.

“It’s not just about the player but it’s about inclusion that includes everybody in our sport,” she said. “There’s the gay community, of which we’re very respectful and want to make sure we’ve got a very inclusive environment that people feel comfortable and want to be part of rugby.

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“But at the same time, we’ve got a large group of people that may share Israel’s views. So we need to think of not being seen to exclude those people.”

Before his latest tweet, Folau had only just emerged from a social media firestorm in which he appeared to suggest that gay people need to repent their sins or they’ll burn in hell.

Castle said if Rugby Australia chose to sanction Folau they would risk alienating a part of the rugby community that he represents.

“By sanctioning Izzy there is a chance that we lose a different part of the community, so as I said at the top this is a very difficult subject that balances those two things,” she said.

“There’s no doubt we’ve had conversations with Izzy about continuing to present his views in a respectful way. He is walking the line, we’ll continue the dialogue with him.

“Those discussions have already been had with Izzy. That continues to be a conversation that both ourselves and the Waratahs continue to have with him ... so it’s a very delicate issue and I really wish I could sit here and say: ‘This is black and white and by sanctioning him we’ll fix it or by going down this path we’ll actually finish it as well’.”

Rugby Australia CEO Raelene Castle says Israel Folau is ‘walking the line’. Source: AAP

Folau is off contract with the Waratahs and Rugby Australia at the end of the season and has been linked with a massive deal to join the Sale Sharks in English rugby.

Castle said it was important to keep any contract renegotiations separate from dealing with this issue of his religious beliefs.

“We’ve worked really hard during this process to make sure we separated that conversation and actually made sure we made it about the issue at hand and made it about the inclusion piece and respectful piece,” Castle said. “And that’s the dialogue and the focus that we’ve continued to have and we haven’t entered into the renegotiations or contract extension conversations in relation to this matter.

“It’s a very hot topic in the Australian landscape at the moment. The freedom of speech movement is looking for a conversation to be had and that’s why I said — and I keep repeating myself — it’s very delicate and we’re trying to manage both sides to make sure everyone feels included because it’s tremendously important.”