The final punishment has yet to be finalised for Israel Folau's 'high level' breach of his Rugby Australia contract but the panel's guilty verdict has already created waves.
Folau was found guilty last night of breaching Rugby Australia's code of conduct after he posted on social media last month that homosexuals and other sinners had Hell awaiting them unless they repented to Jesus Christ.
1 NEWS Sport's Scotty Stevenson told TVNZ1's Breakfast this morning the issue is no where near resolved though.
"No one knows where this goes, but what we do know is that Israel Folau and his law firm are going to have a chance to appeal this decision," Stevenson said.
"If they do, we have to relitigate with another independent panel so we don't even know if this panel is going to get the chance to put a sanction forward to Israel Folau before that appeal is lodged - they have 72 hours to launch that appeal."
But a potential appeal from Folau is only one of the issues Rugby Australia face, Stevenson added.
"Rugby Australia finds itself the headline act in Australian sport for all the wrong reasons.
"This is a sport that is struggling to live with the AFL, the NRL and Cricket Australia and now this is their biggest headline moment - getting rid of potentially their best player over an Instagram post.
"The conservative Christian side of Australian politics have now come out very swiftly and strongly against Rugby Australia - they'll have to deal with that fallout as well."
When asked whether Folau could simply head back to his Super Rugby team and the Wallabies, Stevenson said regardless of his sentence, that wasn't likely an option.
"I don't believe he's welcome back at the Waratahs...rugby is a team game and if one person in your team is deemed to be different than everyone else, it's not making for a comfortable sporting environment."
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