Former Wallabies Drew Mitchell and Matt Giteau have both taken aim at Israel Folau for his GoFundMe page asking for financial assistance in his legal battle with Rugby Australia.
Folau had his $5 million contract with Rugby Australia revoked last month after he refused to remove a social media post that warned drunks, homosexuals, adulterers, liars, fornicators, thieves, atheists and idolaters that they were destined to go to hell unless they repented.
He is now seeking up to $10 million in damages from Rugby Australia and has filed a case with the the Fair Work Commission to compensate his losses in earnings with the commission.
To assist his legal costs, he has set up a GoFundMe page and has asked for a total of $3 million and also complained that he has already spent over $100,000 of his own money to try and deal with Rugby Australia’s internal tribunal processes.
Former Wallabies Mitchell and Giteau both criticised the move and said that he brought this situation upon himself.
YOU are in a fight that YOU chose to be in after YOU broke the terms of YOUR contract, the kids below are in a fight they NEVER wanted to be in & yet YOU think YOU deserve donations more than they do??!!
It’s no longer about religion, it’s about YOU and YOUR greed.@IzzyFolau 🤦🏼♂️ pic.twitter.com/mdywzaw1ha
— Drew Mitchell (@drew_mitchell) June 21, 2019
https://twitter.com/threeredkings/status/1141995561471610880
Can not retweet this enough beef.. 👏🏼 👏🏼 👏🏼 https://t.co/6JmI9Gni3t
— Matt Giteau 🇦🇺 (@giteau_rugby) June 21, 2019
Employment lawyer Josh Bornstein also stated that Folau’s case should not cost more than $300,000.
https://twitter.com/JoshBBornstein/status/1142005715000627200
Folau also acknowledged at the end of his GoFundMe that he had no obligation to do anything in recognition of the gift or to apply the funds in any particular way with respect to his legal action.
‘In making this contribution I acknowledge that my contributions are made freely as a gift on the basis previously affirmed and that there will be no obligations on Israel Folau to do anything for me in recognition of the gift or to apply the funds in any particular way with respect to his legal action, and that I hold no expectation to receive anything in return for my contribution.’
