Former Australia captain George Smith has announced his retirement from professional rugby at the age of 38.

The flanker is the second most-capped Australian forward of all time, having played 111 times for the Wallabies.

Smith revealed his decision as his short-term contract with English Premiership side Bristol Bears ended.

"George belongs in that rare category of player that could turn a game in an instant," said Rugby Australia chief executive Raelene Castle.

"He was universally respected by his team-mates and opponents and has been a huge presence in the clubs he has represented all over the world, as well as on the international stage with the Wallabies."

Smith spent most of his club career with the ACT Brumbies and was twice named Australia's player of the year.

He also played in Japan and France, and had two spells in England with Wasps (2015-16) and Bristol (2018-19).

He won two Super Rugby titles in 12 seasons with the Brumbies, making his Test debut against France in November 2000.

Current England coach Eddie Jones signed Smith for the Brumbies after spotting him playing for Sydney club Manly in 1999, and Smith was a regular during Jones' tenure as Australia coach.

"I'm grateful for his advice and friendship," Smith said in a statement.

"The day I rocked up to sign my first Brumbies contract with dreadlocked hair, board shorts and thongs [flip-flops], I think back and shake my head as to why he didn't just turn me away right there and then."

Former Wallabies and Brumbies team-mate Justin Harrison said Smith "inspired a whole generation of Australian rugby supporters" to play the game.

He added: "We are richer for having had the opportunity to witness George playing in a gold Wallaby jersey."

THOROLD, Ontario — Josh Hansen and veteran racer Ken Schrader shared top honors Monday night at Merrittville Speedway.

Schrader took the victory in the UMP modified feature, while Hansen topped the Action Sprint Tour feature.

The sophomore season of the Action Sprint Tour kicked off with Jesse McDonald showing the way from the drop of the green flag in their 20-lap feature event. Josh Hansen raced in third with Brad Herron and Ryan Hunsinger raced inside the top five.

The leaders would hit lap traffic on lap seven, just as Josh Hansen took second away from Dykstra. Hansen would take the lead away from McDonald in lap traffic on lap nine. Dave McKnight Jr flipped in turn two to bring the red flag out on lap 12.

Hansen would continue to show the way off the restart. Adrian Stahle slowed in turn two to bring out the caution on lap 14.

On the restart, Hansen and McDonald pulled away from Dykstra. McDonald closed to the rear tailpipe of Hansen for the lead and the top two battled for the win. Hansen would hold off McDonald to score the win. McDonald, Dykstra, Brad Herron, and Ryan Hunsinger completed the top five.

Schrader used the outside to power to the lead on the opening lap in the main event for the UMP Modifieds with Dennis Lunger Jr. running in second. With Schrader and Lunger battling for the lead, Jonah Mutton was holding off Brian Speelman and Kraig Handley for third place.

Handley would move into third place after a lap-11 restart and would go after Lunger and Schrader. Schrader would hold off Lunger to score the feature win.

Third-generation driver James Michael Friesen won the main event for the David Chevrolet DIRTcar Sportsman. “The Merlin Magician” Steve Shaw won the feature event for the Hoosier Stocks. Kevin Conley picked up his second Dave’s Auto and Speed Centre V6 feature win of the season.

Even the most frigid of Juventus haters could not help but be moved. Juve president Andrea Agnelli and outgoing manager Max Allegri sat up on stage together following their Allianz Arena season finale -- a 1-1 draw with Atalanta. Just before the news conference, the entire Juventus squad trooped in and took their places around their outgoing coach. It was the polar opposite to how the previous boss left, when Antonio Conte, who had won three-straight Serie A titles, resigned abruptly on a torrid day in mid-July.

If you're going to part ways, this is the way to do it.

The pair appeared genuine. Agnelli, who can sometimes look wooden and scripted, seemed sincere when he talked about how, in addition to working with a great manager, he had gained "a friend." Allegri, for his part, seemed to choke up on more than one occasion, cloaking it by reaching for a sip of water.

There was even a moment of levity and self-deprecation. When asked if it was akin to the end of a romance, Agnelli -- who like his soon-to-be former manager is coming off a failed marriage -- quipped: "Neither Max nor I are qualified to talk about romantic relationships."

So, it ended about as well as it could, given the circumstances. But how did we get here? How was it that Agnelli went from saying that "the cycle continues with Allegri, this team, apart from Cristiano Ronaldo, is relatively young (on the night Ajax knocked them out of the Champions League) to Saturday's "conscious uncoupling?"

According to a source familiar with the situation, Agnelli was genuine in his belief that night in Turin that persisting with Allegri was the right decision. Allegri -- ranked No. 4 among the world's coaches in the ESPN FC 100 -- had reached two Champions League finals in his five seasons at the club, in addition to delivering five Serie A titles and four Italian Cups. What's more, he had been a "club man" throughout. Unlike his predecessor, Allegri rarely blamed players or referees when things did not go right. He was a players' coach, and that was important on a team filled with veterans, many of whom had enjoyed success elsewhere. Players liked him, he had an innate ability to defuse situations and, just as important, Ronaldo -- on whom the club had invested nearly $350 million in wages and fees -- liked him.

Despite what Agnelli said that night about Juventus being "relatively young," this was an ageing veteran-filled side. By the end of the 2019-20 season, Ronaldo and Giorgio Chiellini would be 35, Leonardo Bonucci, Mario Mandzukic, Blaise Matuidi and Sami Khedira would be 33, while Miralem Pjanic, Juan Cuadrado and Wojciech Szczesny would all be 30. Every club has a "window of opportunity," and Juventus' was beginning to close. Changing managers could be disruptive.

As for Allegri, he had reflected on went wrong against Ajax and in the previous round against Atletico Madrid. He had long been talking about the need for Juventus to learn how to impose themselves on opposing teams, particularly in Europe. Clearly, this had not happened. Some of it was his responsibility, of course, but some of it came down to the skill sets of the players and the mentality, particularly in midfield. He had a year remaining on his contract and was confident the club would extend it.

In his mind, continuing for another season with a deal winding down was unthinkable. He would take the opportunity to ask for a raise, as well, since he felt it would cement his authority -- plus, let's face it, he felt he deserved it. And he would ask for more input -- he was always consulted on transfers, but he wasn't the driving force -- in terms of reinforcing the squad.

Allegri also was annoyed at some of the criticism he received from some quarters. He blew up on television when challenged by former Italy international-turned-analyst Lele Adani, who asked him what he could do to get his team to be more attacking: "What can I do? I can work with the players individually and try to improve them. And if they improve as individuals, we'll play better as a group. It's obvious: The better players you have, the better you play.

"Playing well is one thing, winning is another."

He then railed about TV pundits who didn't understand that coaching wasn't about tactics. That one thing is the sort of football theory you learn from books, quite another is the practice of what happens on the pitch. Those words didn't necessarily prompt Juventus' choice, but they did cement the decision facing them. Allegri was who he was and he wasn't going to pretend otherwise. Players are at the heart of his footballing vision, not schemes, not philosophies. The best way to win was to get better footballers or footballers who he could make better. And he wanted more of a role in picking them.

Agnelli prides himself in wanting to hear different views and not be surrounded by yes men. It's something he reiterated on Saturday. Within his inner sanctum -- a group that includes sporting director Fabio Paratici and vice-chairman Pavel Nedved, among others -- the possibility of making a 180-degree turn also was raised. This would involve a philosophical shift and pursuing a "system manager," somebody more in line with the high-press, attacking football that most top European clubs play. It also would fit with the club's efforts on the marketing front, with Juventus continuing their transition from a traditional club to an avant-garde lifestyle brand, as evidenced by the changes to the club's crest and the radical redesign of the striped jersey.

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Equally, though, it was felt that given the current squad's makeup and the Ronaldo window of opportunity, this only made sense if you could attract a top name -- someone like a Pep Guardiola, a Jurgen Klopp or a Mauricio Pochettino -- except none of them would be available this summer.

The inclination at that point was to continue with Allegri. Yet it became clear that if he was to continue, it would be on his terms. And the realization slowly dawned that the guarantees he was looking for in terms of influence on transfers in particular would be hard to meet. Maybe it was time to end this. If you have to make a change, obviously, it's best to do so at the right time, even though you can never be sure when that is. But if you get it wrong, it's less damaging to do it a year early than a year late.

Allegri said the realisation that he would no longer be the Juventus manager only hit him when he walked out of his final meeting with Agnelli on Thursday night. Agnelli said it was the "most difficult decision" he has had to make in his time at the club.

By Sunday night, as Juventus celebrated their title in front of their supporters, it likely felt like the right decision. Gauging public opinion is always tricky, but the sentiment among the majority of fans appeared to be gratitude toward Allegri, rather than anger toward the club at his departure.

Now comes an equally difficult -- though less painful -- decision for Agnelli: figuring out what sort of club he wants Juventus to be and what sort of manager can take them there.

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is ready to offer Paul Pogba a captaincy role at Old Trafford in an effort to convince the midfielder to stay at the club, sources have told ESPN FC.

Solskjaer is looking for a new captain with Antonio Valencia set to leave on a free transfer at the end of the month.

Ashley Young, who signed a new one-year deal in February, is in line to take over from Valencia as club captain but with Solskjaer looking to sign a new right-back this summer, the 33-year-old is likely to have to settle for a reduced role next season meaning on-pitch captain duties are up for grabs.

Sources have told ESPN FC that Pogba, who was stripped of captaincy duties by Jose Mourinho, is one of the names in the frame and Solskjaer is hopeful that handing the 26-year-old more responsibility will help end speculation over his future.

The Frenchman is open to a move away from United this summer after Solskjaer's side finished sixth in the Premier League table, missing out on a place in next season's Champions League and condemning themselves to a campaign in the Europa League.

Real Madrid are leading the race should Pogba leave, although sources have told ESPN FC that United are adamant the World Cup winner, who has a contract until 2022, will not be sold.

Solskjaer is already looking to sign at least one midfielder this summer after Ander Herrera turned down the offer of a new contract to join Paris Saint-Germain.

The Norwegian is keen to keep the extent of his rebuild to a minimum and does not want to lose one of his best players.

Solskjaer's first signing as United boss is likely to be Swansea winger Daniel James.

The 21-year-old Wales international is nearing a £15 million move to Old Trafford just four months after coming close to joining Leeds United.

England's decision to leave David Willey out of the final World Cup squad was a "consensus" decision rather than a unanimous one, national selector Ed Smith has revealed.

Announcing the make-up of the squad to contest the tournament starting on May 30, in which left-arm seamer Willey missed out in favour of newcomer Jofra Archer, Smith also said the decision to bring Liam Dawson in for Joe Denly was driven by concerns over a niggle suffered by spinner Adil Rashid.

Willey was outspoken earlier this year in his opposition to a bowler who had helped England become the No.1 one-day side in the world possibly missing out to Archer, who only recently qualified to represent the country. Smith, who told Willey of his omission when he contacted players on Monday, said he had been "honest" and "dignified" in receiving the news.

"That was a very difficult decision, I think the situation we were in as a selection panel, and in consultation with the captain, was we had more players we wanted to fit into the squad than we were allowed to, so it was a very tough call," Smith told Sky Sports.

"David Willey has been a big part of the one-day side, he has had such a good run, it was a really tough call but someone had to miss out. David was very unfortunate in missing out but he could easily have been in this World Cup squad, he deserves to be in the World Cup squad, but that's sport. Sometimes there are more deserving people than there are places in the squad.

"He's an outstanding man. He's very honest, very, very dignified, very clear to the conversation we had, a very impressive man. He's a very impressive cricketer, it is extremely unfortunate."

Smith was reluctant to give detail on the selection panel's discussions but indicated captain Eoin Morgan had an important role in the final decisions. Asked if leaving Willey out was a unanimous call, Smith said: "I wouldn't get into that, I'd say it was a consensus decision. I would say that everyone in the room was comfortable with the squad that the selection panel has come up with.

"It was very important for me as a selector, that the captain feels comfortable with the squad he takes into the World Cup, obviously. Eoin has been captain for over four years, the England one-day side has done extremely well, this is the culmination of a long campaign, a lot of planning, the culture of that team has been very strong under Eoin Morgan. He's very comfortable with the squad, as we all are."

Smith said that ultimately, Willey fell victim to the fact that England's pace bowling stocks are strong, and deep. And he did not expect Archer's inclusion to cause any unrest within the squad.

Meanwhile, it was Rashid's recent worries with a slight injury that sparked the selectors' decision to plump for a back-up spinner in Dawson rather than a back-up batsman in Denly. Dawson has taken 18 wickets for Hampshire in the Royal London One-Day Cup at 20.33 and scored 274 runs at 45.66, including a 90-ball century against Surrey last month. Denly only bowled a handful of overs as England experimented with him as a third spin option during the warm-up ODI series against Ireland and Pakistan and took one wicket - a stumping off a leg-side wide - while with the bat he managed 25 runs from two innings, plus an unbeaten 20 in a T20 against Pakistan.

"The first thing to say is with that position of the spinner or reserve batter, it's a very subtle balance issue," Smith said. "Do you tend towards someone who's mainly a batter who also is a very handy bowler in Joe Denly, or do you tend towards someone who's tilted more towards the bowling side of it but also as a handy batter?

"It could have gone either way. In actual fact, Liam Dawson was always in contention he was in the team in Sri Lanka and then a side injury forced him out of that, Joe Denly came in and has stayed in, limited opportunities even though he's had.

"Adil Rashid has a little niggle, hopefully he'll be fine, and it won't affect him having a full part in the competition. But that's slightly tilts things towards spin bowling cover as a priority rather than one of your batting reserves."

Dawson played the last of his three ODIs against Sri Lanka last October.

Toss Scotland chose to bowl v Sri Lanka

Scotland captain Kyle Coetzer has elected to send Sri Lanka in under sunny skies at the Grange as the hosts attempt to replicate their successful result two years ago to the day over Sri Lanka at Beckenham in a Champions Trophy warm-up fixture. Despite clear skies at the toss, Coetzer's decision may also be influenced by rain forecast for around 4 pm, meaning Duckworth-Lewis could come into play later in the day.

Allrounder Michael Leask comes in for vice-captain Richie Berrington, who is out with a broken finger, from Scotland's line-up for their two-run DLS loss to Afghanistan on May 10.

Sri Lanka have rung in a slew of changes headed by Dimuth Karunaratne coming back into the squad and making his captaincy debut. The deposed Lasith Malinga is not in Edinburgh and will rejoin the squad in England later in the week.

Besides Karunaratne, there are five other changes from their last ODI against South Africa in March, which capped a 5-0 series loss. Lahiru Thirimanne comes back to open with Karunaratne. Angelo Mathews, Jeevan Mendis, Suranga Lakmal and Nuwan Pradeep all return to the line-up as well as Sri Lanka seek a winning formula trying to snap an eight-match losing streak prior to their World Cup opener against New Zealand on June 1.

Angelo Mathews and Thisara Perera are the only two players in the Sri Lanka XI to have played in both previous ODI meetings against Scotland, in 2011 & 2015. Coetzer and Calum Macleod are the only two from the Scotland side.

Scotland: 1 Matthew Cross (wk), 2 Kyle Coetzer (capt), 3 Calum Macleod, 4 Craig Wallace, 5 George Munsey, 6 Michael Leask, 7 Tom Sole, 8 Safyaan Sharif, 9 Alasdair Evans, 10 Mark Watt, 11 Brad Wheal

Sri Lanka: 1 Dimuth Karunaratne (capt), 2 Lahiru Thirimanne, 3 Avishka Fernando, 4 Kusal Mendis (wk), 5 Angelo Mathews, 6 Dhananjaya de Silva, 7 Thisara Perera, 8 Jeevan Mendis, 9 Suranga Lakmal, 10 Nuwan Pradeep, 11 Isuru Udana

Toss Scotland chose to bowl v Sri Lanka

Scotland captain Kyle Coetzer has elected to send Sri Lanka in under sunny skies at the Grange as the hosts attempt to replicate their successful result two years ago to the day over Sri Lanka at Beckenham in a Champions Trophy warm-up fixture. Despite clear skies at the toss, Coetzer's decision may also be influenced by rain forecast for around 4 pm, meaning Duckworth-Lewis could come into play later in the day.

Allrounder Michael Leask comes in for vice-captain Richie Berrington, who is out with a broken finger, from Scotland's line-up for their two-run DLS loss to Afghanistan on May 10.

Sri Lanka have rung in a slew of changes headed by Dimuth Karunaratne coming back into the squad and making his captaincy debut. The deposed Lasith Malinga is not in Edinburgh and will rejoin the squad in England later in the week.

Besides Karunaratne, there are five other changes from their last ODI against South Africa in March, which capped a 5-0 series loss. Lahiru Thirimanne comes back to open with Karunaratne. Angelo Mathews, Jeevan Mendis, Suranga Lakmal and Nuwan Pradeep all return to the line-up as well as Sri Lanka seek a winning formula trying to snap an eight-match losing streak prior to their World Cup opener against New Zealand on June 1.

Angelo Mathews and Thisara Perera are the only two players in the Sri Lanka XI to have played in both previous ODI meetings against Scotland, in 2011 & 2015. Coetzer and Calum Macleod are the only two from the Scotland side.

Scotland: 1 Matthew Cross (wk), 2 Kyle Coetzer (capt), 3 Calum Macleod, 4 Craig Wallace, 5 George Munsey, 6 Michael Leask, 7 Tom Sole, 8 Safyaan Sharif, 9 Alasdair Evans, 10 Mark Watt, 11 Brad Wheal

Sri Lanka: 1 Dimuth Karunaratne (capt), 2 Lahiru Thirimanne, 3 Avishka Fernando, 4 Kusal Mendis (wk), 5 Angelo Mathews, 6 Dhananjaya de Silva, 7 Thisara Perera, 8 Jeevan Mendis, 9 Suranga Lakmal, 10 Nuwan Pradeep, 11 Isuru Udana

There will be no changes to the 15-man provisional World Cup squad Bangladesh had announced over a month ago, with Minhajul Abedin, the chief selector, saying that the performances in the Ireland tri-series, which Bangladesh won, had convinced the selectors that the squad was the right one.

"There is much confidence on and within the 15-member squad currently in England," Abedin, who was also the team manager during the tri-series, told ESPNcricinfo. "Everyone in the squad has shown that they are capable of performing at the highest stage, which is why we selected them in the first place."

The question marks were mainly over Abu Jayed and Mosaddek Hossain, but both passed with flying colours. Mosaddek's quickfire half-century against West Indies in the final helped Bangladesh clinch their first multi-team ODI trophy, while Jayed took 5 for 58 against Ireland in an earlier game.

Liton Das and Rubel Hossain, also not considered automatic starters at the World Cup, also did enough in their limited opportunities during the tri-series to stay in the squad. Liton hit a 67-ball 76 against Ireland in his only outing, while Rubel picked up 1 for 41 in the same game.

Four reserve players - Taskin Ahmed, Farhad Reza, Nayeem Hasan and Yasir Ali - had travelled to Ireland for the tri-series, but will now continue training in Dhaka along with the two other standby players - Imrul Kayes and Taijul Islam - in preparation for the July series against Afghanistan A, who will play two four-day and five one-day games.

Most of Bangladesh's World Cup squad is now training in Leicester before the squad - including captain Mashrafe Mortaza and Tamim Iqbal, who were given a break - head to Cardiff for their two warm-up games against Pakistan and India on May 26 and 28 respectively.

Squad: Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), Liton Das, Mohammad Mithun, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Mahmudullah, Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Mohammad Saifuddin, Abu Jayed, Mustafizur Rahman, Rubel Hossain, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Sabbir Rahman, Mosaddek Hossain

Jofra Archer believes that his experience of performing under pressure at the IPL will help him to deal with the spotlight of his maiden World Cup, after he was named in England's final World Cup squad only weeks after making his international debut.

Archer, 24, has played just three ODIs and a T20I since his first appearance for England in Malahide earlier this month. But he has impressed with his 90mph pace and versatility as both a new-ball and death-overs bowler, and was named in the final 15 this morning ahead of David Willey.

"I got a call from Ed Smith yesterday, maybe at about six o'clock or so," Archer told Sky Sports News. "I was actually driving at the time and I just felt the phone vibrate and I answered it without looking at it, then that to stop myself and say "good evening". "But it was really, really exciting to be a part of a big summer for English cricket."

Archer's rise to international recognition has been dramatic. Late last year, he had still been reconciled to spending a full seven years completing his residency qualification, which would have made him available to England by 2021-22. But when the ECB reduced that period to three years, he suddenly became available in March this year

"I had got it in my head that I'd have to wait seven years," he said. "Then back in December, they obviously changed it a little bit, but I was prepared to wait however long it would take."

In between spending the obligatory 210 days a year in the UK to fulfil his residency obligations, Archer had been making his name on the T20 circuit with notable spells in numerous domestic competitions, notably with Hobart Hurricanes in the Big Bash and Rajasthan Royals in the IPL. Prior to his England call-up, he had played just 14 50-over matches in his professional career, but insisted he was not worried by this lack of specific experience.

"I think I'm ready," he added. "I've played a lot of cricket outside of 50 overs. And I know to deal with the pressure of crowds. Obviously because I was playing franchise cricket, that was the reason why it wasn't able to play much List A cricket for Sussex, but you don't forget how to bowl. And I think you get more opportunities to bowl than in T20s, you get another six extra overs there to take more wickets."

Furthermore, Archer's regular encounters with some of the best players in the world on the T20 circuit mean that he is arguably better prepared for dealing with the talent in the World Cup than many more experienced international bowlers.

"I think I probably have a bigger advantage over some of the other guys in our team," he said. "We play [these guys] twice a [season] in the IPL, so you know their weaknesses, you know their strengths, you know if they can't run between the wickets … it gets you an extra bit of inside information.

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"To be honest, I think international cricket is probably the same intensity as the IPL," he added. "'I think the only thing that changes is the amount of overs but, ever since I've started, the pressure is really intense. It's different, but it still isn't different."

Despite some outspoken comments in the media from his rivals for World Cup selection - not least David Willey, the man whom he pipped to the final spot - Archer insisted he could not have been made more welcome by his new team-mates.

"Everyone welcomed me with open arms from the moment I got in," he said. "It's a really good team to be a part of, with great players, a great captain, great support staff and coaches. It's probably one of the better teams have played in."

Asked whether England were ready to live up to their billing as the No.1 ODI team in the world, and pre-tournament favourites, Archer said there would be pressure in a home tournament regardless of the team's merit. However, he felt that the experience of grinding out results in a long county season would play into the squad's hands as they embark on a tough six-week campaign.

"This is what the county season prepared us for," he said. "The county season is about five or six months long, just relentless. I don't think it should feel any different for any of our guys because we usually play from March to September anyway. For a lot of the teams, this isn't their summer, they are not usually playing cricket at this time of year. So these are the little things that can work in our favour."

Asked who he was most looking forward to dismissing during the World Cup, Archer namechecked India's captain, Virat Kohli. But he also added that the best player that he had bowled to during the IPL was his own England team-mate, Jos Buttler, in the nets with Rajasthan.

"I'd quite like to get Virat out, because I wasn't able to get him in the IPL because I think a leggie got him in every game he played. I also wanted to bowl at AB [de Villiers] as well, but don't think he's playing for South Africa. And probably Chris Gayle again.

"But Buttler, he's amazing, he's a 360 cricketer, he can hit you straight down the ground and can paddle you right behind the keeper's head… I don't think anywhere's safe as a bowler.

"I've not really had a chance to speak to him about batting, but I spoke to Ben [Stokes] when we batted in the middle a few times in the IPL. If the opportunity to bat does come in the World Cup, having a familiar face at the other end should help calm the nerves."

Further afield, there is also the prospect of Archer making his England Test debut with the Ashes looming in August.

"If they do [pick me], I'd be over the moon," he said. "But for right now I've got a World Cup to think about. I don't expect to waltz in to the Test team either so, if selected, I'll work my butt off. But, if not, I'll go back to Sussex and keeping putting in performances."

A review into religious expression from those "with and without strong" beliefs will be held by the Australian Rugby Union Players' Association (Rupa).

It comes after full-back Israel Folau, 30, was sacked by Rugby Australia after saying "hell awaits" gay people in a social media post.

Rupa said it was going to conduct the review as RA did not have rules about players expressing religious views.

"There remains a great deal of work to be done," said a Rupa statement.

"To address this, Rupa will immediately establish and undertake an expression of faith and beliefs review alongside its players, incorporating advice from those with and without strong religious beliefs.

"The aim is to hold a first meeting of the review committee following the conclusion of the Super Rugby and World Rugby Sevens Series seasons.

"We will also invite both a Rugby Australia and a Super Rugby representative to participate in this Rupa-led review, and we wholeheartedly urge them to take us up on this offer of collaboration and to contribute to a landscape with clearly established guidelines for players, which players can have confidence in."

Folau, a fundamentalist Christian, chose not to contest his sacking after a code of conduct hearing upheld the termination of his contract by RA, which meant he could not play for Australia or Super Rugby club side New South Wales Waratahs.

However, he said his decision is "in no way an acceptance of the judicial panel's findings" and he was "considering all potential avenues".

"This is a sad outcome for Israel, his family, friends, team-mates, opponents and all associated with rugby in Australia and around the world," added the Rupa statement.

"Rupa will continue to support Israel to ensure that he, [wife] Maria and their broader family receive any personal support they need in this difficult transition from Australian rugby."