- Will turn out for Wentworthville Magpies in Ron Massey Cup
- At 36, a return to the NRL for Hayne is highly unlikely
- Sexual assault charges quashed in June last year
Jarryd Hayne is poised to return to the footy field for the first time in seven years after signing with a leading Sydney rugby league club.
The two-time Dally M medal winner has agreed to a one-year NSWRL contract to play for the Wentworthville Magpies in the Ron Massey Cup in 2025.
Hayne’s return comes after he spent nearly two years in jail after being convicted of sexual assault charges, which were quashed by the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal in June of last year.
That followed a hung jury in his first trial in 2020 and a previous appeal overturning the 2021 guilty verdict from his second trial.
It is understood the 36-year-old has already commenced training up to three nights a week with his new teammates, with Hayne’s first match for the Magpies scheduled for March 15 against Ryde Eastwood.
Wentworthville Magpies junior rugby league president Elias Kassab said the footy code is built on second chances.
‘We have looked thoroughly into this before making the decision to have Jarryd join us,’ Kassab told News Corp.
‘He is a different person now. We are happy that he could be playing for us and working with the little ones coming through the grades.
‘A lot of people will have their opinions, but we know how sincere Jarryd is in wanting to give back to the game in a positive fashion.
‘We are willing to give anyone a second chance so long as they are honest about things.’
Kassab also anticipates a healthy crowd will be on hand to watch Hayne make his debut next month at Ringrose Park in Sydney’s west.
It comes as Hayne took part in the recent Nines Premier League tournament on the Gold Coast – but was clearly hampered by a hamstring injury.
His last NRL appearance was in 2018 with the Parramatta Eels.
Hayne’s CV speaks for itself: 214 NRL games, 121 tries, 466 points, two Dally M Medals [2009, 2014], and a key role in the Eels’ 2009 NRL Grand Final appearance.
He also represented NSW in 23 State of Origin matches and played 12 Tests for Australia.
