Ex-NRL star Jarryd Hayne breaks silence as he returns to the footy pitch for the first time since he was released from prison
Former NRL star Jarryd Hayne has broken his silence after returning to play footy again.
The former Parramatta Eels star played his last game in the NRL back in 2018, and on Sunday afternoon, turned out for the Wentworthville Magpies in the Ron Massey Cup.
It comes 11 months after Hayne was released from prison after the former Parramatta Eels star won an appeal against his rape convictions.
The footy star's career came to a premature end after Hayne was sentenced to three years behind bars. He had served one year of his sentence before his release in June 2024.
He was convicted of two counts of sexual intercourse without consent on April 2023, but both convictions were subsequently quashed by the New South Wales Court of Appeal.
The 37-year-old, who made 176 appearances for Parramatta, had been nearing a return to the footy pitch over the past few months but a hamstring injury had slowed his return to action.
Last year, Hayne signed with the United Sporting Club to play in January's Nines Premier League on the Gold Coast but spent little time on the pitch, due to injury.
But on Sunday, he finally made his return to the pitch, turning out for the Wentworthville Magpies, a Parramatta feeder club, in the Ron Massey Cup.
And he showed no signs of rustiness, nor injury, as he helped the Magpies seal a comeback victory against the Canterbury Bulldogs at Ringrose Park.
'It was good for about 70 minutes, then the last 10 killed me,' Hayne told Channel 9.
'Good to get the 80 [minutes] though, we've got the bye [round] next week so I'll be recovering.'
After the Bulldogs took a 14-10 lead into the sheds at halftime, Hayne, who also played as a running back for the San Francisco 49ers in the NFL, stepped up to produce a perfectly weighted pass to winger Austin Quast, who dotted down to tie the scores at 14 points apiece.
Hayne also came close to crossing the whitewash himself on the following play.
The Magpies subsequently went on to claim a 22-14 victory.
On Sunday, the two-time Dally M Medallist made his rugby league return for the Wentworthville Magpies
The former Dally M medallist was a physical presence on the field and looked in great shape as he broke through tackles and flung some stunning passes out wide
He added that he was looking forward to playing more footy and 'having fun again'
The footy star, meanwhile, looked happy to be back on the pitch, smiling and laughing with his team-mates as he returned to the pitch for the first time since 2018.
'It's been a journey, but it's life. We move forward,' Hayne said.
'It's been good to get the win.'
The former Fiji star also revealed that he hadn't missed playing footy until a year ago.
'I probably didn't miss it until about a year ago and it's been a good break, I've enjoyed it. I love my sport, touch footy, Oztag, I'm always doing something.
'To come out here - they're a good bunch of boys.
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