Wallabies superstar Israel Folau has sparked a Twitter backlash by revealing he will not support the push for same-sex marriage.
Wallabies superstar Israel Folau tweeted: "I love and respect all people for who they are and their opinions, but personally, I will not support gay marriage." Photo: Getty
Folau tweeted: "I love and respect all people for who they are and their opinions, but personally, I will not support gay marriage."
He was immediately inundated with dozens of replies criticising him for his stance.
Folau is believed to be the first high-profile sportsperson to have publicly announced their opposition to same-sex marriage.
It comes after numerous sporting organisations - including the Australian Rugby Union, the NRL, Cricket Australia and Football Federation Australia - declared their support for a 'yes' vote in the government's postal survey.
Folau is a devout Christian who was raised as a Mormon, converting to the Assemblies of God Fellowship with his family in 2011.
The 28-year-old credits his relationship with God as one of the reasons for his athletic prowess and his success in the NRL, AFL and rugby union.
His views are in stark contrast to Wallabies teammate David Pocock, who has taken the year off rugby but will be back in the test ranks alongside Folau next year.
"When my survey arrives I'll #VoteYes for justice and love. #MarriageEquality," Pocock tweeted a few hours after Folau's original message.
A passionate campaigner for a variety of social issues including anti-homophobia and marriage equality, Pocock famously declared four years ago that he would not tie the knot with his partner Emma Palandri until gay people were legally permitted to do the same.
Wallabies coach Michael Cheika and captain Michael Hooper also met with politicians in Canberra this week to show their support for same-sex marriage.
The team is currently stationed in the nation's capital ahead of Saturday's Test match against Argentina at GIO Stadium.
Folau's tweet drew support as well as criticism however, and has attracted more than 300 retweets and 1000 likes within three hours of it being posted on Twitter.
- AAP