Star fullback Israel Folau signed a new three-year contract with the Australian Rugby Union (ARU) yesterday that will give him the flexibility to play in Japan or elsewhere during the off-season.
The union said that the new deal — of which financial terms were not announced — will see the 26-year-old Folau play for the New South Wales Waratahs in Super Rugby and the Wallabies until the end of 2018.
Folau, who previously played rugby league and Australian rules football, switched to rugby union for the 2013 season.
Photo: Reuters
He has since played all 29 Tests for Australia in the past two seasons, scoring 17 tries, and is expected to be a key member of the Wallabies at the World Cup later this year in England and Wales.
The union said Folau had a “flexible” contract, which would allow him to play overseas outside the Super Rugby season or when not required for Wallabies Test duty.
“I’ve already had so many great moments and experiences in rugby over the past few years, but I feel like I am still just scratching the surface of what I am capable of,” Folau said in a union statement.
ARU chief executive Bill Pulver said signing Folau on a long-term deal was significant for the code in Australia.
There were reports of interest from National Rugby League teams in Australia and rugby sides in France.
“There is no denying Israel’s extraordinary talent on the field, but equally impressive is the way he represents himself and the game off the field,” Pulver said.
“Rugby as a whole will benefit immensely from Israel’s ongoing presence in the game,” Pulver said.
Folau played rugby league from 2007 to 2010 with the Melbourne Storm and Brisbane Broncos in the NRL, and appeared in eight rugby league internationals for the Kangaroos.
He made his first code switch when he joined the Greater Western Sydney Giants in the Australian Football League for the 2012 season. However, his foray into Australian rules football was not successful and he moved to the Waratahs the following season, helping New South Wales win the Super title last year.
Folau became the first player to top a season’s try-scorers’ list in both Super Rugby and the NRL.
He scored 12 tries last year with NSW, while he touched down 21 times for Melbourne in the 2007 season.
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