Former NRL star Jarryd Hayne will return to competitive rugby league for the first time since he was released from prison and had his sexual assault convictions overturned in court.
Hayne had a celebrated NRL career primarily with the Parramatta Eels, debuting in 2006 and winning Dally M medals in 2009 and 2014 as the league’s best player.
He also represented New South Wales in State of Origin and Australia internationally before leaving the NRL in 2014 to pursue an NFL career with the San Francisco 49ers.
After being released by the NFL club, he returned to the NRL for an injury-scarred two-year spell at the Gold Coast Titans before a 15-game homecoming at Parramatta in 2018.
His NRL career effectively ended when the 36-year-old was charged with sexual assault in 2018, leading to three trials between 2020 and 2023.
After being convicted twice and serving time in prison, his convictions were overturned on appeal in November 2023 and he was released.
Jarryd Hayne was one of the NRL’s most entertaining players until his career ended with a series of court appearances and jail terms before his convictions were overturned in 2024.
Central Coast United have signed Jarryd Hayne to play in a tournament on the Gold Coast
Hayne, photographed leaving prison in June, has always maintained his innocence.
Now Hayne is set to return to the rugby league field competitively for the first time since 2018 after signing to play for United Sporting Club for the Nines Premier League on the Gold Coast from January 26-27.
‘All aboard the Hayne plane. I really want to see this man in the 9 format,” the Club published on social networks.
Former Dally M medalist Ben Barba will also compete in the 2025 tournament, which has attracted former NRL talent including Andrew Fifita, Blake Austin and Jeremy Latimore, who all played for United.
It comes after Hayne joined the Fiji team as coach earlier this year for the Pacific Championships.
He was an assistant coach for a Fijian team that ultimately failed to win the Pacific Bowl and advance to the top level of championships by 2025.
Hayne also played 10 games for Fiji during his rugby league career along with five appearances for the Fiji Rugby Sevens team in 2016.
He has also been seen training between court appearances and was even working with famed sprint coach Roger Fabri in a bid to be prepared for a sporting return.
Hayne was charged in November 2018 with sexual assault following an alleged incident with a woman in Newcastle on the night of the 2018 NRL Grand Final.
Hayne is shown shedding tears of relief after his convictions were overturned in court in June this year.
Hayne returned to rugby league as a coach with Fiji in the Pacific Championship.
Football bad boy Ben Barba (pictured playing for Cronulla in 2016) will also play in the same competition as Hayne.
The woman accused Hayne of assaulting her in his home, resulting in her injuries, while Hayne maintained his innocence and pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Hayne’s first trial in 2020 ended with a hung jury, as jurors were unable to reach a unanimous verdict.
At a retrial in 2021, Hayne was found guilty of two counts of sexual assault and sentenced to five years and nine months in prison.
However, Hayne appealed the conviction and in February 2022, the New South Wales Court of Criminal Appeal overturned the guilty verdict due to legal errors and ordered a new trial.
In March 2022, Hayne was released on bail while awaiting his third trial, which began in early 2023.
The third trial concluded in March 2023 and Hayne was again found guilty of two counts of sexual assault.
On May 4, 2023, he was sentenced to four years and nine months in prison, with a non-parole period of three years.
Hayne appealed the conviction once again and, in November 2023, his appeal was upheld, leading to his convictions being overturned.
Later that month, Hayne was released from prison after serving time in custody since his 2023 sentence.