SYDNEY — Former Wallabies full-back Israel Folau has announced his retirement from professional sport at the age of 37 after failing to secure a return to the NRL with the Wests Tigers. The dual-code international, who represented Australia in both rugby union and rugby league as well as Tonga in union, said he is done at elite level after a deal with the Tigers was not struck before the 30 June deadline.
“Yeah, I’m done now. I’m not looking for any other opportunity in terms of playing at that level,” Folau told CODE Sports. “I guess I’m still sort of processing it now. Still very fresh, I guess. It hasn’t really sunk in just yet. I look across my time playing the game, I was very blessed to play at the highest level for even that long.”
Folau’s near two-decade career spanned three codes. He started with the Melbourne Storm in 2007, later played for the Brisbane Broncos and had a stint in the AFL with Greater Western Sydney, before switching to union where he made 96 appearances for the Waratahs and became Super Rugby’s all-time leading try-scorer, a record since broken. In Test rugby he earned 73 caps for Australia and scored 37 tries, featuring at three World Cups — in league in 2008 and in union against the British and Irish Lions in 2013 and at the 2015 and 2019 tournaments. After his Rugby Australia contract was terminated in 2019 for code of conduct breaches over social media posts condemning homosexuality and other behaviour on religious grounds, he spent a season with the Catalan Dragons and then joined Japan’s Urayasu D-Rocks, later qualifying for Tonga after World Rugby’s three-year stand-down period before a knee injury ruled him out of the 2023 World Cup.
Reflecting on the difficult chapters, Folau admitted to moments of doubt. “There’s a bit of doubt. You second-guess yourself and whether you are doing the right thing,” he said. “But I think growth comes in the most challenging times of your life. There was moments there where I tried the best that I could and still wasn’t good enough.” He added: “There’s definitely no regret. I’m 100 per cent very blessed. I think God orchestrates everything that happens in life. You might not understand things at that moment, but when you look back as time goes on, things fall into place. I believe that God doesn’t make any mistakes.”
While his professional career is over, Folau is set to feature in the Nines Premier League tournament on the Gold Coast in January and said he would be open to grassroots opportunities going forward. “I look at the blessings I’ve had across my career and it’s been awesome. I’ve gotten to enjoy that journey and I’m looking forward to the next part,” he said.