England forward Billy Vunipola has been “formally warned” about his future behaviour by his club Saracens, who said he made a “serious error of judgement” in defending Israel Folau’s anti-gay social media rant.
Vunipola liked Folau’s post and called for people to “live their lives how God intended” after the controversial Australia back, who is now facing the sack, claimed “Hell awaits” gay people.
Saracens said in a statement: “The player has been formally warned about his future conduct.
“At Saracens, we are one family, open to all, with the firm view that everyone should be treated equally with respect and humility.
“We recognise the complexity of different belief systems and understand Billy’s intention was to express the word of God rather than cause offence.
“However, he made a serious error of judgement in publicly sharing his opinion, which is inconsistent with the values of the club and contravenes his contractual obligations.”