Israel Folau

Folau, a fundamentalist Christian, caused a stir earlier this year when he responded to a question on social media with the assertion that homosexuals were destined for "hell" if they did not "repent".

Pocock, meanwhile, was an outspoken advocate for equal marriage rights for same sex couples ahead of last year's Australian referendum on the matter and has in the past called out homophobic abuse on the field of play.

Speaking for the first time since Folau sparked a storm of controversy six weeks ago with the first of a series of divisive posts about gays, Cheika said anyone who disagreed with his religious beliefs — including homosexuals — should ignore them.

Speaking for the first time since Folau sparked a storm of controversy six weeks ago with the first of a series of divisive posts about gays, Cheika said anyone who disagreed with his religious beliefs - including homosexuals - should ignore them.

The code-hopping superstar has suffered widespread backlash for publicising his extreme views, with the Wallabies' major sponsor Qantas outraged and others including All Blacks halfback TJ Perenara pointing out Folau's profound influence on vulnerable youngsters.

Folau, an Evangelical Christian, wrote on his Instagram page last month that gays would be condemned to "hell" if they failed to "repent", sparking outrage on social media and criticism from a key sponsor.

The 29-year-old, who faced no sanction from Rugby Australia (RA), is now set to feature in the Waratahs' game against the Blues in Sydney tomorrow night after recovering from a hamstring injury.

"I've said what I said in recent weeks," Folau told reporters on Thursday. "I stand firm on what I believe in and that's from something personal with who I am.

There's been a public backlash over Folau's comment on social media two weeks ago that said gays were headed for "hell" unless they repented of their sins and turned to God.

The rugby star has since released an article to articulate his religious beliefs and the reason why he posted his initial comment.

But Henry 'Aho said people need to be more mindful with what they say publicly as it impacts on others like leitis who suffer ongoing bullying.

Gibson said he wanted Folau, who is off-contract at the end of 2018, to stay in rugby, but that those conversations were initially, at least, between the Test star and the national body.

Rugby Australia is yet to publicly respond to Folau's article, though after their meeting last week, Rugby Australia CEO Raelene Castle said they still wanted Folau to stick with the sport.

It is unclear exactly what the organisation's next step will be after Monday night.

The Wallabies fullback wrote a lengthy piece on sports website Players Voice, addressing the fallout from his Instagram message and reiterating his deep religious convictions.

Folau said that in a meeting last week with RA chief executive Raelene Castle and Waratahs CEO Andrew Hore, he gave his bosses the option to sack him.

Folau replied to a comment on an Instagram post saying God's plan for gay people is "hell, unless they repent of their sins and turn to God".

Tuiloma Lina Samu says those comments are harmful for people who already deal with intolerance and rejection, based on their sexuality.

"Those words hurt and they hurt significantly especially vulnerable people who are already marginalised people, who are already rejected and ostracized by communities and families," she says.

RA chief executive Raelene Castle and Andrew Hore, the CEO of Folau's Super Rugby team New South Wales Waratahs, met with the player in Sydney on Tuesday.

The meeting was arranged after Folau, an Evangelical Christian, wrote on his Instagram page that gays would be condemned to "hell" if they failed to "repent", sparking outrage on social media and criticism from a key sponsor.

Castle said Folau acknowledged he had caused "grief to some people" but she declined to comment on whether he had agreed to tone down his views in his social media posts.

RA announced that chief executive Raelene Castle and Waratahs boss Andrew Hore would meet with Folau following a statement he made on Instagram.

Australia's highest-profile player, who is a devout Christian, sparked social media outrage on Wednesday when he said gay people were headed to "HELL ... Unless they repent of their sins and turn to God" in response to a question on Instagram.