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Sydney – Fallen rugby star

His Facebook account is still available, but hasn’t been updated since last year.

Folau’s spokesperson said he had no immediate comment.

Super Rugby’s record try-scorer, who was on a A$1 million-a-year, four-year contract, was fired by Rugby Australia in May.

Folau opted not to appeal and mediation attempts failed, prompting him to take the highly divisive unfair dismissal case, which has drawn support from conservatives and outrage elsewhere, to the courts.

Folau, who has played 73 times for the Wallabies, raised more than A$2 million in just two days through the Australian Christian Lobby to help pay his legal fees before the appeal was paused, with enough money “for now”.

It replaced a GoFundMe crowdfunding campaign that was shut down after raising more than A$700 000, with the platform saying it would not “tolerate the promotion of discrimination or exclusion”.

Folau’s claim argues he was unlawfully dismissed under a section of Australia’s Fair Work Act that disallows sackings because of a person’s religion.

Rugby Australia has insisted the firing was purely contractual, saying he had agreed not to disparage anyone over their sexual orientation following a similar controversy last year.