Israel Folau will have “some restrictions” placed on his social media usage but Tonga coach Toutai Kefu is yet to address that “elephant in the room.”
Former Wallabies star Folau was last week named in Tonga’s squad for the first time, alongside ex-All Blacks Malakai Fekitoa and Salesi (Charles) Piutau.
Wallabies great Kefu is excited about what Folau potentially has to offer his team at next year’s Rugby World Cup and in an interview with Reuters said he trusted the 33-year-old would not cause disruptions.
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The evangelical Christian was sacked by Rugby Australia in 2019 following social media posts that suggested homosexuals, among others, would go to hell.
“That’s probably the elephant in the room,” Kefu said.
“At this point in time, (trust) is what we probably have to rely on. But I mean, we would have some restrictions, like we always do every campaign with all the players.
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“I’m sure we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”
Folau – who has been playing club rugby in Japan – is set to make his Tonga debut in next month’s Pacific Nations Cup which also includes Fiji, Samoa and Australia A.
Tonga is yet to qualify for the World Cup and will take on a yet to be determined Asian country in a playoff match on the Sunshine Coast on July 23.
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“I’ve known Israel for a long time. He’s going to bring his professional mindset, he’s going to bring a set of skills that we’ve never seen in our environment,” Kefu told Reuters.
“We’re going to have a good group of young players as well. Imagine their eyes when they’re in the room with the likes of Piutau and Malakai and Israel.
“This is going to be a fantastic opportunity for these young guys to learn.”
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