Israel Folau is arguably Australia’s most successful cross-code athlete, having played NRL and AFL and rugby at the elite level. Born in south-western Sydney to a devoutly religious Polynesian family, Folau, one of six children, took up sport at an early age. Folau played rugby league for the Minto Cobras alongside Jarryd Hayne before the family moved to Brisbane, with the promising talent graduating from Marsden High School in 20016. Later that year he was selected to tour England with the Australian Schoolboys rugby league side, before a stellar debut NRL season, that became a record-breaking NRL career, though it lasted just four seasons. Folau signed a three-year deal with fledgling AFL side the Greater Western Sydney Giants, but lasted just one season before switching to rugby, a code in which he has flourished. After just 14 Super Rugby caps Folau scored a double on his Test debut, against the British & Irish Lions, an auspicious start to his international career.
Highlights
2013
Folau won his first Test cap, playing wing against the British & Irish Lions. He became the 89th Australian to score a debut try, with two in that match. He played in all 15 Tests that year, the first five on the wing and the final 10 as fullback. Over the course of the year Folau scored 10 Test tries to equal Lote Tuqiri’s all-time Australian single season record set in 2004.
2014
Folau started at fullback in all 14 Tests and, breaking Chris Latham’s Australian record of 17 successive caps as run-on No.15 along the way.. For a second consecutive season, Folau finished the year as top Wallaby try scorer (7) and beat Michael Hooper by more than 80 votes to win his first John Eales Medal.
2015
Folau won a further nine Test caps but only managed a single try. He extended his consecutive run of Tests at fullback to 28 before he was left out of the side to play a pre-Rugby World Cup warm-up against the United States in Chicago. Folau became the third player, after George Smith and Nathan Sharpe, to win the John Eales Medal for a second time and the first to win it in consecutive years. He was chosen for his first Rugby World Cup however his impact on the tournament was negated by an injury to his left ankle - picked up in the pool match against England - that later required surgery.
2016
Folau played in all but one Test through 2016 - against France in Paris - as he earned 14 caps. He won his 50th Test cap against Scotland at Murrayfield.
2017
Folau cast aside two lean seasons on the try-scoring front to set the rugby world alight in 2017. Doubles in the first three Tests of the season were followed by a try in each of the three Tests against the All Blacks, a feat only Matthew Burke in 1998 has matched. He finished the year with 12 tries from 10 Tests and went on to claim a record third John Eales Medal, before sitting out the Spring Tour.
