Wallabies coach Michael Cheika has defended the rights of his star fullback Israel Folau to speak out against same‑sex marriage saying the team respects each other's right to an opinion.
Folau sparked a Twitter backlash by revealing he will not support gay marriage, becoming the first high‑profile sportsperson to have publicly announced their opposition.
It came after numerous sporting organisations including the Australian Rugby Union declared their support for a 'yes' vote in the government's postal survey.
Folau's views are also at odds with outspoken former Test skipper David Pocock while current captain Michael Hooper has also voiced his support for gay marriage this week.
In camp with the Wallabies in Canberra ahead of their Rugby Championship Test against Argentina, Cheika said Folau had the right to voice his views and didn't believe it would cause a rift among his players.
Tomorrow the Wallabies take on Argentina at 10pm while the All Blacks host the Springboks at 7.35pm.
Source: RadioNZ
