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Australian Rugby Star Fired After Saying ‘Hell Awaits’ Gay People

Israel Folau played for the Australian national team 73 times.

One of the biggest stars in international rugby has been fired after he warned gay people that they're going to end up in hell. Israel Folau has played for the Australian national team 73 times and was expected to appear at rugby's flagship competition—the World Cup—in Japan later this year. But the Christian faced severe criticism over an Instagram caption he posted last week which read: “Drunks, homosexuals, adulterers, liars, fornicators, thieves, atheists and idolators. Hell awaits you.” Rugby Australia said the 30-year-old “had committed a high-level breach of the Professional Players' Code of Conduct warranting termination of his employment contract,” according to BBC Sport. Folau has refused to delete or apologize for the social media post, telling the Sydney Morning Herald: “I live for God now. Whatever He wants me to do, I believe his plans for me are better than whatever I can think. If that's not to continue on playing, so be it.”