No deal, no return
Israel Folau has called time on his professional career. The 37-year-old told CODE Sports he is finished and will not chase another opportunity at that level, after an attempted NRL comeback with the Wests Tigers never produced a contract. “Still very fresh,” he said of the decision, admitting he is still processing it.
His management and the club did not reach an agreement, and Folau has now dropped the plan. He said he has no regrets and credited his faith for how his career unfolded, while acknowledging periods of self-doubt along the way.
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A record-book career across codes
The numbers explain why the story still draws attention. Folau played 73 Tests for the Wallabies and scored 37 tries, and he was widely regarded as one of the best full-backs of his generation. He featured at three Rugby World Cups, including 2015 and 2019 in gold. For the Waratahs he made 96 appearances and became Super Rugby’s all-time leading try scorer, a mark since passed.
Few players have crossed as many borders. He played league for the Melbourne Storm and the Brisbane Broncos, AFL for Greater Western Sydney, and union for the Catalans Dragons era in France and for Urayasu D-Rocks in Japan, before switching allegiance to Tonga.
The controversy that defined the second half
Rugby Australia terminated his contract in 2019 over code-of-conduct breaches linked to social media posts about homosexuality and other comments made on religious grounds. After World Rugby’s stand-down period he moved to Tonga and was on course for the 2023 World Cup before a knee injury intervened.
Retirement does not mean he is leaving the field entirely. Folau will play in the Nines Premier League on the Gold Coast in January and says he is open to grassroots opportunities.
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