Jarryd Hayne's rugby league exile comes to an end as ‘massive' Ron Massey Cup comeback confirmed
Jarryd Hayne's six-and-a-half-year exile from rugby league is over, with the former Parramatta No.1 to finally play for Wentworthville in the Ron Massey Cup.
Hayne was on Tuesday named at five-eighth in the Magpies' team to face Canterbury in the third-tier league, after months of hamstring issues.
Initially expected to play for Wentworthville in round one in March, Hayne was first sidelined in the pre-season, before another setback in his hamstring.
But those issues are now expected to be behind him, with the 37-year-old set to play his first game since September 2018 on Sunday.
'I'm incredibly grateful for the opportunity to return to the field with the Wenty Magpies,' Hayne said in a statement.
'Football has always been a huge part of my life, and getting back out there in a team environment is something I've truly missed.
'I'm focused on having fun and enjoying the game again, contributing wherever I can, and putting in the hard work, week in, week out. I want to thank the club and the local community for their support. I'm excited for what's ahead.'
Wentworthville described it as a 'massive 'IN'' and urged fans to attend and support the team.
One of the biggest names in the NRL after taking Parramatta on a run to the 2009 grand final, Hayne captured the attention of Australia with his NFL switch in 2015.
The two-time Dally M Medallist returned to rugby league in 2016, and has endured a turbulent run since going uncontracted at the Eels at the end of the 2018 season.
Hayne had remained hopeful of staying in the NRL, having never formally retired from the game.
But the fullback's hopes of earning another NRL deal were ended when he was charged with two counts of sexual intercourse without consent.
Hayne spent more than a year behind bars and was found guilty following two trials, but was released from prison last June when his conviction was overturned.
The 37-year-old had maintained his innocence throughout the process, before his charges were dropped in the weeks after his successful appeal last year.
During that time Hayne was largely an invisible figure in rugby league's history, as questions remained over whether he would have his Dally M Medals stripped.
Hayne took his first step back into the sport last year as part of Fiji's coaching staff ahead of the Pacific Championships, and has not given up hope of playing for the nation again.
That would require a significant run on the field, with the Ron Massey Cup sitting behind the NRL and NSW Cup as the third-tier open-age competition.
Wentworthville act as a feeder club to the Eels, but Hayne himself has conceded any return to the NRL is unlikely.
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