- Kurtley Beale was excited on Saturday
- The 35-year-old played for the Western Force.
- Beale has had a long journey back to rugby
Kurtley Beale could not contain his emotions as the veteran rugby star was welcomed back to the highest level of his sport over the weekend.
Beale, 35, turned back time with an impressive performance for the Western Force that helped his team to a surprise 37-15 victory over the Crusaders in Perth, the first time they had beaten their rivals in 11 years.
That result moved the club off the bottom of the Super Rugby table and also marked Beale’s first top-level domestic match in Australia in more than four years.
He had enjoyed a spell at French club Racing 92 before becoming involved in legal proceedings after being accused of rape.
In February, Beale was found not guilty of raping a woman in the bathrooms of Bondi’s Beach Road hotel in 2022 and has worked hard to resume his playing career.
Kurtley Beale was thrilled after receiving his Western Force cap over the weekend.
The Force posted a video of Beale receiving his cap from Force coach Simon Cron and couldn’t contain his emotions.
“Wow, this is very emotional for me,” he said, his voice shaking.
“I’ve been out of the game for a year or so. I have been waiting for this opportunity for a long, long time and I am very happy that it is with a great club like Force and with a great group of men like you.
“It’s fantastic to be part of the group and thank you to the club for welcoming my family. We love it here and we’re looking forward to joining the club and the group and hopefully having a special season.
‘So thanks.’
Beale stepped back in time in his first Super Rugby match in more than four years.
After the match, Force captain Nic White paid tribute to Beale and said his leadership was hugely influential in securing the victory.
“I’m going to give a lot of credit to KB,” White told Stan Sport.
‘The voice that KB brought as soon as he came in – it would have been easy to walk in and stay quiet – it’s new to this system.
“But he went straight into being a real leader and one guy who benefited from that voice is Donno.”