Six years ago, Israel Folau had a bitter clash with Aussie rugby bosses over his homophobic comments - here's why he's slamming them again

Former Wallabies star Israel Folau has declared he is 'very disappointed' after Rugby Australia boss Phil Waugh ruled him ineligible to play against the British & Irish Lions in a tour match later this year.

It isn't the first time Folau and RA haven't seen eye to eye - in 2019 he was sensationally sacked by the governing body after posting an explosive Instagram post which stated 'hell awaits' homosexuals and adulterers.

Folau later received an apology - and confidential settlement payment - from Rugby Australia after initially seeking up to $14million in damages.

Fast forward to 2025 and Folau again has Rugby Australia in his sights.

Folau was informed by News Corp journalist Jamie Pandaram that RA boss Waugh was 'open' to seeing the 36-year-old feature in a combined Australia-New Zealand XV to face the Lions.

But Waugh quickly hosed down any talk of Folau playing, pointing to the fullback - who played 73 Tests for the Wallabies - switching his international allegiance to Tonga.

Now based in Japan, Folau took to Instagram to clarify the messy situation for his followers.

'I just wanted to address a couple of things in regards to a few media articles that have been floating around the past week in relation to me playing in this Anzac v Lions game later this year and how this all came about,' his clip began.

'I was contacted last week by Jamie Pandaram, and he was in conversations with Phil Waugh.....and Phil had told him that he was open to the idea of me being involved in this game if I was interested in that.

'And so Jamie reached out to a good friend of mine - [former Wallaby] Sekope Kepu - and told him the same thing and made the connection between myself and Jamie.

'I did the interview last week and told him that I was definitely interested in that opportunity as I think anyone would in my position.

'Being a professional rugby player, these opportunities don't come around too often and so I told him I was very interested. If I was fit and selected, it was a game that I'd love to be a part of.

'But recently Phil has come out and shut that down completely for whatever reason and said that I was not eligible to play this game nor was there any discussions around me being involved in this game as well.

'So, look, I'm very disappointed around those comments, particularly after what I was told from Jamie and the conversations he had with Phil.

'It's disappointing from my point of view, otherwise, I wouldn't have put myself, I guess, in this position. But you know, it is what it is and I just wanted to address that.'

Waugh previously indicated he was willing to clear the air with Folau following his 2019 sacking.

'I would be happy to meet and talk with Israel,' Waugh told News Corp last October.

'Israel was one of the great players of modern Australian rugby.'

Folau's sporting career kicked off in rugby league, where he played 91 NRL games for Melbourne Storm and then the Brisbane Broncos.

He also featured in five Origin games for Queensland and represented Australia on eight occasions.

In 2010, he shocked footy fans across Australia by making a stunning switch to play AFL with the GWS Giants. Folau walked away from his multi-million dollar after just two years.

In 2013 he shifted to rugby, and was an international superstar with the NSW Waratahs and Wallabies until his dramatic sacking.