Australian rugby player Israel Folau has been served with a breach notice over his social media posts on April 10.
Rugby Australia's Integrity Unit has deemed that Folau had breached the Professional Players' Code of Conduct warranting termination of his employment contract.
Rugby Australia CE, Raelene Castle said, "At its core, this is an issue of the responsibilities an employee owes to their employer and the commitments they make to their employer to abide by their employer’s policies and procedures and adhere to their employer’s values."
Castle explained that Folau was warned formally and repeatedly about social media use following events in 2018. She confirmed that he has failed to meet those obligations.
She said, "It was made clear to him that any social media posts or commentary that is in any way disrespectful to people because of their sexuality will result in disciplinary action.
“All professional Rugby players in Australia are bound by the Code of Conduct and there is a process in place for any disciplinary matter. We appreciate that this particular matter will attract significant interest, but due process must be followed.”
The sanction must either be accepted by Folau withing 48 hours of being served or have the matter referred to a Code of Conduct hearing.