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Darren Walton,
AAP
July 3, 2013, 10:05 am
Australian Rugby Union boss Bill Pulver is hopeful Wallabies sensation Israel Folau will choose Cape Town over Campbelltownand remain in rugby union.
Teasing red-faced rugby league officials who let Folau slip from the NRL, Pulver on Wednesday hailed the code-hopping superstar a marketing dream and said his heroics for Australia during the deadlocked series with the British and Irish Lions had been a massive fillip for the 15-man game.
Despite going head-to-head with a State of Origin series and the Socceroos' final two World Cup qualifiers, Pulver said the Lions' tour had been an overwhelming success - and that Folau had been an integral factor.
"We operate in Australia in the most competitive winter sports market in the world," Pulver said.
"We compete with rugby league, we compete with AFL, we compete with soccer.
"But we bring some very unique things in rugby. We are the only sport that has a truly competitive international team.
"We're ranked three. We want to be ranked one - and that is a key point of difference.
"You talk about Israel Folau, I mean Israel Folau's away game is in Cape Town. In rugby league, his away game would be Campbelltown.
"So it opens up a much broader dimension for the players."
Folau is off contract with the NSW Waratahs and ARU at the end of the year and he remains a target of NRL clubs, most notably Canterbury, eager to lure the dual international back to rugby league.
"I'm very happy - to be clear up front - that the Australian Rugby Union would love to have Israel remain in the game," Pulver said.
"He is an incredible athlete. I think he's only played 13, 14, 15 games of rugby. So from my perspective I can only begin to imagine how good he will be in a year's time when he really fits with the game and understands all the nuances of rugby.
"So we would love to keep him. We're obviously in a dialogue and I hope it's a positive outcome."
Pulver said Folau had "captivated the minds of the Australian and international rugby public" during the Lions series.
"He's an extraordinary player, so the fact that he scored two tries in his first Test was fairly unique. Not many players have done that and certainly not many players have done that in a British and Irish Lions tour.
"So, look, it was from a marketing perspective a wonderful opportunity for the game to see him play so well."
Pulver, though, wouldn't be drawn on Robbie Deans' future when asked if the Wallabies coach could be guaranteed a new contract if Australia lost the Lions series on Saturday.
"I've made it clear all along that Robbie Deans' job is not hinging on the result of the British and Irish Lions tour," he said.
"And, look, on the eve of the Test match, it would be terrific if we can leave the coaching issue to one side and let them focus on getting through the third Test."
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/spo...an-league-aru/
There about the same number of sharks in Campbelltown as there is in Cape Town
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Originally Posted by jono
