Israel Folau is in talks with the Queensland Reds.getty images
On Thursday, Super Rugby side Queensland Reds and its naming rights sponsor, St. George Bank, will make a joint announcement to mark Int'l Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, according to Georgina Robinson of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. The bank, which started in southern Sydney and merged with Westpac a decade ago, "was one of the first Australian financial institutions to publically support marriage equality." So it "will be interesting to see where the speculation ends up around Israel Folau's potential move north to the Reds." Last week, it was reported Folau met with Queensland coach Brad Thorn. There is "nothing simple about Folau anymore." In the space of just six weeks, "with a small handful of posts on Instagram and Twitter," the dual int'l has "gone from the cleanest of clean-skins to the most complex proposition in Australian sport." Prodigious talent, "sublime athlete, corporate kryptonite?" The Reds were "hosing down" talk of the move on Sunday, and a St. George spokesperson said that the bank "would not comment on speculation." But it will be "instructive" to see where the reported "preliminary talks" go from here between player and coach (SMH, 5/13).
