Folau's message not what rugby stands for: Johnson
Australia's director of rugby Scott Johnson has launched a passionate plea for the sport to embrace its inclusiveness following the latest Israel Folau social media controversy, having witnessed first-hand the struggle former Wales star Gareth Thomas had coming to terms with his sexuality and the personal toll it took on him.
Johnson has backed Rugby Australia’s hardline stance to sack Folau should the governing body be granted permission to do so after the Wallabies and Waratahs fullback’s code of conduct hearing in Sydney on May 4.
It is a touchy subject for Johnson, given he was the first person whom Thomas told that he was gay and was struggling to deal with his sexuality.
In 2006, the former British and Irish Lions captain broke down in tears next to Johnson after a 29-29 draw with Australia in Cardiff and poured his heart out, telling his former coach his marriage was on the rocks and that he needed to get a secret off his chest.
Johnson was Thomas' coach at Wales but had taken a role as Wallabies assistant coach. Despite that, he spoke to Thomas, who has since revealed he was suicidal, and organised for him to tell teammates he was gay and to make the transition period easy for him.
"I was very privileged and honoured to be the person Gareth Thomas needed to talk to about his sexuality," Johnson said on Wednesday.
"The sport allowed Gareth, in a very dark period, to come out and I look at the success of the man today. Israel, I will park [judgment] until he has his chance to say his side of the story, but as a sport and what Rugby Australia stands for, I’m all for including all types.
"He nearly retired from the game and I got him back to play. We formed a relationship as you do as a coach and then I came back to do the Wallabies.
"He was a married man that was having difficulty. I remember after the Test match that we played in Cardiff – this is what I love about the sport – I was coaching the opposition and I got called into the change room because he only wanted to talk to me. I spent the next 24 hours off-site in the opposition’s hotel talking to his teammates because he couldn’t, nor his coaching staff and his management.
"It goes beyond rugby. This is human relationship. I had a kid that I absolutely loved to coach, I loved what he stood for [but was] troubled.
"I look back at that time and I say: 'Did he pick me?' I love the fact he has become the man he has. I think he stands for so many good things and [that] I am most privileged. This went beyond the sport, it cut across countries. I am very proud and privileged to say I was part of that."
Last week Thomas, a 103-Test veteran, hit out at Folau, who posted a photo that said homosexuals, among other groups such as drunks and atheists, were destined for hell.
"What he's said about being gay [as being] almost a choice is very uneducated," Thomas said. "I can tell you as a gay man myself, what I've been through in my life, if there was a choice then probably at times I probably would have decided not to have been gay."
Johnson said he would reserve judgment on Folau individually until after a verdict had been reached in his code-of-conduct hearing.
Wallabies coach Michael Cheika has already said it would be difficult to pick Folau for Australia in the future which leaves his international career in limbo.
"I want to make it really clear I am very supportive of where Rugby Australia is in this stance," Johnson said.
"What I will say is we want a game that includes everyone. You don’t coach just to win trophies, you coach to make people better and that’s why I’m in the sport and I’m passionate about it. People can say and do what they want. It’s what we stand for as a sport that is important."