Israel Folau debut gives rugby league the spotlight it craves, but at a cost | Aaron Bower

14 February 2020 03:11
A sport long afflicted by a crisis of confidence has been wrestling with its conscience since the Australian’s arrival – his Catalans debut is set to prolong the controversyHow does a sport get everything it has ever wanted without courting some controversy along the way? That is a question rugby league has spent the past fortnight arguing about with itself. Practically since the sport was created in 1895, rugby league has craved a greater slice of the spotlight and pushed for mainstream media attention on a wider scale.This weekend league will get its moment in the spotlight when Super League’s most controversial signing makes his debut in Perpignan. Israel Folau’s arrival at Catalans Dragons sparked a spike of interest in league that many of the sport’s devoted fans have craved for decades – but this is a true test of whether there is actually such a thing as bad publicity. Related: Artful French tames Wolfpack as Wigan extend Toronto’s miserable run Continue readingread full article

Source: TheGuardian