Sale Sharks will never sign Israel Folau after homophobic comments
Boss Steve Diamond doesn't want his team to be associated with that behaviour
By Steve Brown
Sale Sharks will never sign Israel Folau after his homophobic slurs on Instagram.
The team are currently looking to sign a full-back and were reportedly linked with a £750,000-a-year deal for the Australian rugby star but Folau caused controversary by saying gay people will go to Hell unless they repent to God.
And now Sharks boss Steve Diamond has revealed he doesn’t want his team to be associated with that type of behaviour and won’t be signing him.
He told SunSport: “We don’t want to be associated with that.
“I don’t think we would look at him. There are certain things where everyone is worth a second chance.
“But if you carry on saying it, then it doesn’t read right. We have the Spartans in Manchester who are one of the gay teams and we are involved with them a little bit. It has to be all-inclusive.
“Israel Folau is a fantastic player, but what he said has not gone down well in the rugby world. He would also be too much money for us anyway.”
Folau has admitted he will never apologise for his comments and walked away from any punishment after a meeting with Rugby Australia’s chief executive Raelene Castle.