Saturday Serve: The secular world that awaits Israel Folau in France

But chances are he's never heard of 'laicité', France's stringent concept of state secularism.

The discarded Wallaby signed a one-year deal to join Super League franchise the Catalan Dragons earlier this week, sparking widespread criticism across the globe.

It took just 19 minutes following the announcement for the Wigan Warriors to send a not-so-subtle message to the French club, declaring they would host Pride Day when Folau and his Dragon teammates travel to Pemberton in round eight.

He thought he could sue Rugby Australia for religious discrimination but he's going to be hit with a huge culture shock when he arrives in Perpignan because if anything, his views are going to be less tolerated in France.

Oh the irony.

French townships and cities may be built around churches - like Lyon, where I lived in 2017 - but the influence of religion remains firmly within the ancient bricks of cathedrals.

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A new world awaits Folau in the hexagon, one where religion is strictly practiced behind closed doors.

Church and state are separate entities in France with regard to the law, but laicité has also led to the removal of references to religion from the public sphere.

A nation wide ban on wearing full-face coverings, like the burqa, in public has been in place since 2011, while clearly visible signs of faith are banned in schools.

As a Christian studying in Lyon, I was not allowed to wear a crucifix or cross around my neck at university. Religious groups could not meet on camps nor wear religious garments.

This is the secular world that awaits Folau in France.

A secular country which became the 14^th nation to legalise same-sex marriage in 2013.

Let's not forget Folau saying homosexuals among others would burn in hell. Or that he preached about the devastating bushfires being a punishment for the legalisation of same-sex marriage and abortions in Australia.

Folau has (once again) vowed to keep his religious views to himself, otherwise he risks the immediate termination of his Super League contract.

Catalans chairman Bernard Guasch told a local newspaper the club "do not share or tolerate his opinions" but hailed his signing as a major "coup" for rugby league.

But where were the other Super League clubs rushing for his signature? Why did the NRL close the doors on his return?

It seems as though the Catalans were just the lowest common denominator, desperate for a Super League finals return.

Guasch also says the Catalans are committed to making their club and sport welcoming to everyone.

But what about young rugby league players who are part of the LGBTQI community? What about the thousands of same-sex couples who have married in France since 2013?

It's a backhand to the very foundations on what the sport was built on: inclusiveness.

Wakefield Trinity prop Keegan Hirst, the first openly gay Super League player, puts the nail on the head when he says the decision shows "none of the bravery, camaraderie or integrity the RFL expects from its players, staff and fans."

"I'm shocked and disappointed at the signings of [Israel Folau]," Hirst Tweeted on Tuesday.

"Our great game is tasked with fighting against homophobia and standing up for the values it puts such high stock in."

Folau may not have an easily accessible platform to preach his views in France, but the move justifies that sports people of his calibre will always have a way out.

The test will be whether the Catalans stick to their word and uphold the values of rugby league, and further France itself.