Malcolm Orchard, who started his own petition on change.org as well as signing up to other pro-Folau campaigns, said the player was being denied the freedom to express his views.

“He’s basically being picked on by all these different groups in the sense that he’s got a right to his opinion,” said Orchard, a Christian and Sydney-based financial adviser. “He hasn’t vilified anyone and he’s just quoted from a text, which happens to be the Bible. So I would support him on many grounds, not just Christian grounds.

“Yes, he probably shouldn’t have put a homophobic word in there, although the actual Bible quote doesn’t say it but it could be inferred, I suppose.

“You are not allowed, evidently [in Australia] to be discriminated against for your religious beliefs. And it seems like he didn’t agree to any sanctions added to his contract [with Rugby Australia] regarding social media posts.

“I just felt a boycott is often the most effective campaign. It seems like some of the comments on Israel Folau’s Instagram come from South Pacific players. He has more than 44,000 likes. So if you’re going to fire him, you should fire all of them. Be consistent.”

Last week, Folau posted a banner on social media that read: “Warning. Drunks, Homosexuals, Adulterers, Liars, Fornicators, Thieves, Atheists, Idolators, Hell Awaits You. REPENT! Only Jesus Saves.” He also quoted the Bible’s Galatians 5:19-21, King James Version.

Rugby Australia (RA), which had warned Folau over a previous post considered anti-gay, said it would rip up his contract with the Wallabies, while he is also being thrown out of his Super Rugby side, New South Wales Waratahs.

While his sacking was mostly celebrated, thousands of people have come out in support of Folau – either because they share his Christian beliefs or feel he should have the freedom to express himself.

Former Wallabies coach Alan Jones last week wrote a scathing Facebook article condemning RA, saying the body was being manipulated by its sponsor Qantas – Australia’s national airline.

Jones wrote: “Those arguing for the prosecution of the young man preach about terms of his contract and the ‘values of the game’. If the ‘values’ of the game involve censorship or, what’s worse, termination for articulating Christian values that are as old as Christianity itself, then it is Rugby Australia that needs to change, not Folau.

“Of course, Rugby Australia wants to parade as guardians of morality yet this has got nothing to do with morality and everything to do with money. Qantas presumably has threatened to pull its sponsorship. It has played this game before.

“The Qantas CEO Alan Joyce has tried this on in the past. He is entitled to his view, even though, apparently, Israel is not. But surely he cannot appropriate his view to the whole Qantas family. Alan Joyce apparently does not agree with Israel, but there are thousands in the Qantas family who do not agree with Alan Joyce.

“Israel Folau is from a devoutly religious Polynesian family. He has not sought to impose his views on anybody. He has merely repeated, as one correspondent wrote at the weekend, ‘what his religion has held for thousands of years.

“Whether you choose to believe it is up to you. And if you don’t, then probably you don’t believe in hell either. I suspect that had Folau been a Muslim stating exactly the same religious beliefs that, in the unlikely event he was dismissed, it would have led to calls of Islamophobia’.”

RA chief executive Raelene Castle said this week that Folau had ignored the body’s warning on social media posts.

“It was made clear to Israel in writing and verbally when I met with him last year that any social media posts or commentary that in any way were disrespectful to people because of their sexuality would result in disciplinary action,” Castle said.

“Despite this Israel has chosen to ignore this warning.”

Wallabies coach Michael Cheika said he was unlikely to pick Folau for the World Cup in Japan this summer because of his “disrespect” to the gay community.