Billy Vunipola given official warning by RFU over support for sacked Israel Folau Instagram post

Billy Vunipola has been given an official warning by the Rugby Football Union over his support for sacked Australia international Israel Folau over his homophobic Instagram post.

The No 8 will not face any ban after receiving his second warning in the space of two days, following Saracens’ internal action on Monday over the same incident.

The 26-year-old posted a message that supported Folau for speaking of his Christian beliefs as two share the same faith, and added that “man was created for women to procreate” that led to widespread condemnation of his views.

Folau has since been sacked by Rugby Australia after initially claiming that “hell awaits” for "drunks, homosexuals, adulterers, liars, fornicators, thieves, atheists, idolaters." But while Vunipola has been warned by both Saracens and the RFU, it is the first time that he has been involved in such an incident, whereas Folau had previous due to a string of homophobic comments on his social media accounts.

In a statement released on Tuesday morning, the RFU said: “Following a meeting between the RFU and Billy Vunipola, the Saracens forward has been issued with a formal warning under RFU rule 5.12 for conduct prejudicial to the interests of the union or the game.

“The warning will be retained on his disciplinary record for a period of five years and may be taken into account in future disciplinary proceedings.

“During the meeting the player expressed genuine regret at his public comments and understood that he had caused hurt and offence as a result of his actions.

“He has been reminded of his responsibilities as an England player and as an ambassador for the game, which values inclusivity and respect.”

The RFU’s statement differs quite significantly from the one that Saracens and Vunipola issued on Monday, in which there was little suggestion of remorse or an apology. Furthermore, Vunipola is yet to take down the post.

Vunipola said in a statement: “I can see that my recent post has hurt people. My intention was never to cause suffering. My intention was to express my belief in the word of God. These beliefs are a source of great strength, comfort and guidance in my life. This is deeply personal and does not represent the views of my team.

“Anyone who knows me, knows I live with kindness and love towards ALL people.

open image in gallery

“I have faith. My Christian faith has sustained me through the ups and many downs of my life. God has given and continues to give me many reasons in life to be grateful.”

Saracens added: "Senior representatives of the club held lengthy discussions with Billy Vunipola regarding his recent social media activity.

"At Saracens, we are one family, open to all with the firm view that everyone should be treated equally with respect and humility. We recognise the complexity of different belief systems and understand Billy’s intention was to express the word of God rather than cause offence. However, he made a serious error of judgement in publicly sharing his opinion, which is inconsistent with the values of the club and contravenes his contractual obligations. The player has been formally warned about his future conduct.”

open image in gallery

While the disciplinary action puts the incident to bed, Vunipola is still likely to receive a backlash from fans who have voiced their opposition for his views. He was booed by fans when introduced during last weekend’s defeat by Bristol Bears, who appeared to make light of the opposition to gay people by playing “It’s Raining Men” at full-time, while he could also face a reaction from Munster fans in this weekend’s European Champions Cup semi-final.

Yet the strongest reaction could well come from Saracens fans, a number of whom criticised both the player and club for how the situation has been handled by replying directly to the club’s statement.