FFormer rugby league star Jarryd Hayne has been offered a chance to return to football by a Sydney club, but there are some strict conditions attached.
Hayne, 36, was released from prison on June 12 after his convictions were overturned. He had spent more than a year behind bars after a jury found him guilty in April 2023 of two counts of sexual intercourse without consent.
The ruling by the New South Wales Court of Appeal ended a six-year saga that saw the two-time Dally M winner appear in court three times after he was accused of raping a woman in Newcastle during the 2018 NRL final.
After Hayne regained his freedom, he kept a low profile and returned to socializing with his family.
His final NRL footy career came in 2018, but the former Eels superstar has now surfaced on social media training with renowned sprint coach Roger Fabri.
Fabri, who has worked with NRL stars including James Tedesco, Michael Jennings and Josh Addo-Carr, posted a clip of Hayne sprinting on a football field.
“You thought it was over!!! You don’t even know what Jarryd Hayne is going to do,” Fabri captioned his post.
It has now been announced that Western Sydney Two Blues rugby club are interested in having Hayne play for them.
Hayne was emotional when the sexual abuse charges against him were officially dropped in June
The former football star has been offered a potential return to football by a Sydney rugby club
Two Blues boss Greg Cummings said there were still a number of hurdles to overcome once the move was approved by Rugby Australia and Rugby NSW.
“He should come to us — we’re not going to chase him — and I would bring it up with my board and the coaching staff first,” Cummings said. Yahoo Sports Australia.
“If everyone was on board, we would judge it on its merits. He was one of the best full-backs in the game at his peak, but he has been out of football for a long time, so he would have a lot of work to do.
“We’re not at NRL level but our lads are very dedicated and train hard so he’s got to be prepared to put in the work. I’d say it’s a long shot but you never know.”
Cummings says the last thing they need to sort out before signing the former Eels star is the paperwork.
“He should have to pay his entry fee like all the other guys: $250 a season,” Cummings said.
Hayne has now moved far from the man once predicted to become Australia’s highest-paid athlete.
Hayne (pictured with wife Amellia Bonnici) last played in the NRL in 2018
It is not known what the former football star’s next move will be (pictured winning the Dally M Medal as the NRL’s best player in 2009).
The former football star was recently photographed with Parramatta Eels legend Peter Wynn
The legal ordeal has had a devastating impact on his finances, which have been depleted by legal fees for years. This situation was made worse when he was allegedly scammed out of $780,000 by a fellow inmate in a Bitcoin scam.
It is not yet known what Hayne will do next, but Lyall Mercer, a public relations and crisis communications strategist, said it was “sad that we live in an age where reputations are defined by commentary and speculation on social media rather than facts”.
“Everyone has the right to a fair trial and Jarryd has been through the legal process which has ultimately determined that at this point he remains innocent until proven guilty,” he told Ny Breaking Australia.
‘If there is no new trial, he remains innocent, regardless of what anyone thinks.
‘Jarryd has a long way to go to repair his damaged reputation.
Mr Mercer pointed out that the NRL, where Hayne twice won the Dally M Medal for player of the year, is littered with stars who have been found guilty of crimes but have been given the chance to restore their reputations.
“So it would be hypocritical for them (the NRL) to do anything other than offer support to Jarryd, who has not been convicted at this time, and welcome him back into their community,” Mercer said.
Whether that will actually happen is another matter.
Both the NRL and Haynes’ former club, the Parramatta Eels, have refused to recognise him since late 2018, when he was first accused of sexual abuse.
Hayne, one of the Eels’ greatest ever players, was not mentioned once during the club’s 75th anniversary celebrations in April 2022, as he awaited his third trial.
