Australia’s highest-profile rugby union player Israel Folau has again courted controversy after posting a link on social media to a video that warns against “tolerance” of same-sex marriage.

The video posted to Twitter features an 11-minute sermon by late American evangelist David Wilkerson who warns of “sexual perversions beyond description”.

Folau tweeted the video on Tuesday along with a message asking people not to close their hearts and while stating his actions were motivated by love.

“With great love, I wanted to share this video in the hope that people watch it and think about it,” he said. “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.”

Folau took to Twitter again after the post to respond to a message from a fellow Christian critical of the video and his tweet, who requested apologies for the LGBT and Christian communities. The rugby union player ignored the request, saying his message was a warning motivated by love.

“Warning people of eternal punishment if they continue to live in their sin isn’t judgmental. It’s called love,” he said. “I won’t apologise for believing and following the word of God. May God open your eyes to what a true believer is. God bless!”

The evangelical video is called “It’s time to get right with God,” and features the Wilkerson’s fire-and-brimstone sermon. Wilkerson, who died in a car crash in 2011, had long preached about homosexuality as an abomination, according to Fairfax media.

Rugby Australia opted not to sanction Folau in April after he used Instagram to suggest gay people would go to hell unless they repented their sins, despite sponsors, including Qantas, raising concerns over his anti-LGBTI views.

Off contract at the end of 2018, Folau has been linked to a move to the Queensland Reds in Brisbane, where he grew up. The three-times John Eales Medallist has reportedly held talks with Reds coach Brad Thorn, which teammate Ned Hanigan said was surprising.

“The Reds? This is all new stuff,” Hanigan said after Folau looked anything but a player who wanted out as he joked with teammates during Waratahs training on Wednesday.

Asked about Folau’s post, Hanigan said it was the first he’d heard of it.

“If that was circulating in the sheds, then obviously it would be an issue. But it’s not for us because the way he’s conducting himself around the group, he’s keeping those two things separate, which is really good.”

While Folau has been mired in controversy over the past month for his controversial stance on homosexuality and same-sex marriage, Hanigan said the Waratahs fully supported the code-hopping superstar “as a teammate”.



“There’s obviously been a bit around Izzy of late,” Hanigan said. “He came back into the squad [after being injured] and I can honestly say his preparation for that Blues game [last Saturday] was first class, which is testament to the athlete he is and his performance he had against the Blues, I reckon he was best on park.

“His outside world is his outside world. But when he’s here, he’s here for the group, and I’d be immensely disappointed if he was going to leave because I like him as a guy, he’s awesome on the field, he’s a fellow that you want to give the ball to because he creates stuff.



“No-one can deny that.”