Rugby Australia Chief Executive says code 'didn't back down' on Folau settlement

Rugby Australia Chief Executive, Raelene Castle has rejected media reports that the confidential settlement of the ongoing legal dispute between the code and former Wallaby Israel Folau was for an amount of $8 million

Speaking yesterday, Castle advised that the decision to settle with Folau was a “commercial decision” to give Rugby Australia “cost certainty” and the sum was less than what it would cost to continue with the court proceedings.

Standing by the move to settle with Folau, Castle stated “in these types of disputes, what you do try and find a situation that gives Rugby Australia, some certainty.

“This settlement gives us that and also ensured that we were in a situation where the cost was less than seeing a trial through to the end of February.

“The whole point of a confidential settlement document is that you don’t talk about the numbers and you don’t speculate on them, and you draw a line in the sand, and you move on.

“Unfortunately, because of what has happened this morning, we are here.”

Castle had earlier tweeted to dismiss a reported settlement figure of $8 million as “wildly inaccurate”.

Addressing media at Rugby Australia’s Sydney headquarters on Thursday, Castle said the national body was covered by insurance but couldn’t discuss to what extent.

She added “the terms are confidential but what you do try to find is a situation that gives RA some certainty, and this settlement gives us that and also ensured that cost to RA was less than seeing a trial through to the end of February.”

Castle (pictured) said the organisation made the right call in sacking Folau in April for his religiously motivated, but inflammatory, anti-gay social media posts, concluding “we made the right decision in calling out Israel on his posts and inappropriate messaging, that remains the same.

“We stuck to our values that inclusiveness is core to the key of rugby. Taking this conversation further into a court situation was not helping the game and so we made a decision that gave us cost certainty that put us in the best financial situation in entering the new year in a positive way.”