The dispute with Israel Folau has been a festering wound for Australian rugby that its bosses will be desperate to suture, and fast.

It has sucked oxygen and money from a sport at a time it can ill-afford it, capping off years of multiple disasters.

Folau's religious convictions, or more accurately, his eagerness to publish them widely from the elevated position afforded to him by rugby, were not the sport's problems, until it failed to appreciate how far he would push the administration.

Its conciliatory path could not meet the force of his conservative backers.

And the resulting mess has highlighted just how far the sport has fallen, and how much is at stake.

On field, the recent World Cup exposed deficiencies of an ageing Wallabies squad, as well as tensions behind the scenes.

In four short years, now-departed coach Michael Cheika went from saviour to polarising presence, beloved by his charges but on the nose with the executive.

The sport at the grassroots is struggling for focus and resources.

Off-field, its chairman has been forced to stand down, conceding negativity about his reign was hampering the sport's progress, after uproar over the removal of Western Force and tortured handling of Super Rugby.

Rugby Australia (RA) chief executive Raelene Castle is under consistent attack by fans and commentators, baying for her removal.

Rugby Australia chief executive Raelene Castle has weathered a storm of criticism during the Folau saga. ( AAP: Dean Lewins )

There are reports broadcaster, Foxtel, has walked away from the negotiation table over the deal to start in 2021.

The undisclosed settlement with Folau, even if it were in the millions, will have been calculated to be a timely, albeit painful, investment to stem the loss of cachet.

But while the end of the Folau Fiasco is an important line in the sand, all of these issues for rugby are still unresolved. The rifts are real and the challenge is huge.

Meanwhile, the high ground it took with Folau will stay untested in the public domain.

Folau and RA have apologised to each other — the sport will now be hoping the public can forgive and forget.

And while Folau walks away from this contest, the larger fights he started are still raging.

His protracted legal saga with RA became a form of societal sticky flypaper, ensnaring outrage from every corner of the culture wars.

Endless and divisive discussion over the nature of freedom of speech and religious expression and their limits, about the scope of contract law and the rights of employers to control a 'brand', about how Australians see themselves … it's all played out, as Folau broadcast his sermons, raised his money, and made his case.

Already the Australian Christian Lobby is calling on the Federal Government to enshrine the right of anyone to make similar comments in the future.

The Coalition is promising the religious freedom bill will return after some backroom tinkering, and the issues will spill out again.

The irony that this case has ended in "settlement", as if it implies peace for either the sport or Australia, is laughable.

Mary Gearin is an ABC journalist, presenter and former national sport correspondent.