Israel Folau will play in Australia again for the first time since 2021 after signing with the Nines Premier League, the nine-a-side rugby league competition.
The 37-year-old former Kangaroos and Wallabies star is one of 11 players confirmed for the EZ Squad, news.com.au reported on Wednesday afternoon. Former rugby union internationals Will Genia and Tim Nanai-Williams are also part of the squad.
The competition, which launched in 2024, will hold three events over the coming months. It starts in Sydney next month, moves to Brisbane in December and finishes with the finals on the Gold Coast in January.
Close to an NRL return
Folau came close to an NRL comeback earlier this year when his management held talks with Wests Tigers about a train-and-trial contract, but the two sides couldn’t agree on a deal.
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He has spent recent seasons playing rugby union in Japan, and Love Rugby League reported that a number of former Super League players are also involved in the competition, which has featured names such as James Maloney and Blake Austin in recent years.
Rugby Australia terminated Folau’s contract in 2019 over a social media post, and the two parties settled the matter later that year.
Nines boss defends the signing
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Nines Premier League founder Anthony Mitchell defended the decision to bring Folau in.
“Signing a player does not mean the organisation endorses every view they hold or ultimately the decisions they’ve made,” Mitchell said.
“We want to have them around groups of people that are looking for a positive rugby league experience and have some fun in being able to reconnect.”
Folau played NRL for the Melbourne Storm and Brisbane Broncos and represented Queensland and Australia before stints in the AFL with the GWS Giants and in rugby union with the Waratahs and Wallabies.
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