The Australian Christian Lobby is hosting a fundraising effort on its website for former Wallabies star Israel Folau after his successful GoFundMe page was shut down.
TVNZ reports as at 9 o’clock this morning almost $50,000 had been donated via the link on the ACL site, with the group also committing to tip in $100,000 to Folau's legal defence.
Folau has been trying to build up a $3 million war chest from public donations to fund his legal battle against Rugby Australia, which terminated his $4 million contract in May.
The decision by RA came after Folau posted a biblical passage on social media saying "drunks, homosexuals, adulterers, liars, fornicators, thieves, atheists and idolaters" would go to Hell unless they repented.
Folau claimed he had been the victim of discrimination on religious grounds and set up the GoFundMe page, which raised more than $750,000 [NZD $788,866] in about four days.
TVNZ
