Latest news with #Hayne
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Why Urban Outfitters Stock Zoomed Higher Thursday
Urban Outfitters beat on both the top and bottom lines last night. Q1 earnings were nearly double what the retailer earned a year ago. Investors are cheering the blowout quarter. 10 stocks we like better than Urban Outfitters › Urban Outfitters (NASDAQ: URBN) stock exploded 21.4% higher through 11 a.m. ET Thursday after demolishing Q1 earnings forecasts last night. Heading into the report, Wall Street analysts forecast Urban Outfitters would earn only $0.83 on less than $1.3 billion in Q1 sales. In fact, the retailer earned $1.16 per share on sales of more than $1.3 billion. Sales surged nearly 11% year over year for Urban Outfitters, with "comparable retail segment net sales" (i.e., same-store sales) increasing 4.8%. SSS growth was strongest at the company's Anthropologie brand, up 6.9%, with SSS gains of 3.1% at Free People and 2.1% at Urban Outfitters per se. CEO Richard Hayne exulted over the "record first-quarter revenues and profits," highlighting "positive sales growth and improved profitability across all brands and segments." Earnings of $1.16 -- a generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) number, by the way -- nearly doubled in comparison to last year's Q1. Management didn't give guidance on what to expect in Q2, but Hayne did forecast "continued success." Wall Street seems on board with the assessment as well, forecasting 15% earnings growth this year to $4.91 per share. Assuming Urban Outfitters hits that number, the stock would be selling for 15 times current-year earnings, right in line with a 15% growth estimate. Even with no dividend to boost the stock's attractiveness, the worst I could say about Urban Outfitters today is that the stock looks fairly priced, and largely unaffected by President Trump's tariffs war. Call me an eternal optimist, but Urban Outfitters stock looks like a buy to me. Before you buy stock in Urban Outfitters, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Urban Outfitters wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $644,254!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $807,814!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 962% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 169% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of May 19, 2025 Rich Smith has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Why Urban Outfitters Stock Zoomed Higher Thursday was originally published by The Motley Fool
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
URBN Reports Record Q1 Sales and Income
PHILADELPHIA, May 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Urban Outfitters, Inc. (NASDAQ:URBN), a leading lifestyle products and services company which operates a portfolio of global consumer brands including the Anthropologie, Free People, FP Movement, Urban Outfitters and Nuuly brands, today announced record net income of $108.3 million and earnings per diluted share of $1.16 for the three months ended April 30, 2025. Total Company net sales for the three months ended April 30, 2025, increased 10.7% to a record $1.33 billion. Total Retail segment net sales increased 6.4%, with comparable Retail segment net sales increasing 4.8%. The increase in Retail segment comparable net sales was driven by mid single-digit positive growth in both retail store sales and digital channel sales. Comparable Retail segment net sales increased 6.9% at Anthropologie, 3.1% at Free People and 2.1% at Urban Outfitters. Subscription segment net sales increased by 59.5% primarily driven by a 52.9% increase in average active subscribers in the current quarter versus the prior year quarter. Wholesale segment net sales increased 24.2% driven by a 25.6% increase in Free People wholesale sales due to an increase in sales to specialty customers and department stores. 'We are excited to announce record first quarter revenues and profits,' said Richard A. Hayne, Chief Executive Officer. 'Our success was driven by positive sales growth and improved profitability across all brands and segments. We believe these results demonstrate the strength of our brands and the effectiveness of our strategy, giving us confidence in URBN's continued success,' finished Mr. Hayne. Net sales by brand and segment for the three-month periods were as follows: Three Months Ended April 30, 2025 2024 Net sales by brand Anthropologie $ 569,931 $ 526,385 Free People 353,112 318,691 Urban Outfitters 273,505 270,258 Nuuly 124,354 77,942 Menus & Venues 8,599 7,456 Total Company $ 1,329,501 $ 1,200,732 Net sales by segment Retail Segment $ 1,130,510 $ 1,062,685 Subscription Segment 124,354 77,942 Wholesale Segment 74,637 60,105 Total Company $ 1,329,501 $ 1,200,732 For the three months ended April 30, 2025, the gross profit rate increased by 278 basis points compared to the three months ended April 30, 2024, and gross profit dollars increased 19.8% to $489.1 million from $408.4 million. The gross profit rate benefited from a non-recurring gain of $4.8 million, or 36 basis points, recorded in the current year quarter and store impairment and lease abandonment charges of $4.6 million, or 38 basis points, recorded in the prior year quarter not repeated in the current year quarter. The remaining 204 basis point increase in gross profit rate was primarily due to improved Retail segment markdowns driven by lower markdowns at Urban Outfitters, leverage in delivery expense due to lower carrier costs and a reduction in packages per order, and leverage in store occupancy costs due to the increase in comparable Retail segment net sales. The increase in gross profit dollars was due to higher net sales and the improved gross profit rate. As of April 30, 2025, total inventory increased by $84.8 million, or 14.6%, compared to total inventory as of April 30, 2024. Total Retail segment inventory increased 13.2% and Retail segment comparable inventory increased 12.6%. Wholesale segment inventory increased 30.6%. The increase in inventory for both segments was due to increased sales and early receipts. For the three months ended April 30, 2025, selling, general and administrative expenses increased by $27.1 million, or 8.1%, compared to the three months ended April 30, 2024. Selling, general and administrative expenses leveraged 65 basis points as a percentage of net sales compared to the three months ended April 30, 2024. The leverage in selling, general and administrative expenses as a rate to net sales was primarily related to lower litigation expenses in the current year quarter as compared to the prior year quarter. The dollar growth in selling, general and administrative expenses was primarily related to increased marketing expenses to support customer growth and increased sales in the Retail and Subscription segments, as well as increased store payroll expenses to support the Retail segment stores net sales growth. The Company's effective tax rate for the three months ended April 30, 2025, was 21.4%, compared to 23.6% in the three months ended April 30, 2024. The decrease in the effective tax rate for the three months ended April 30, 2025, was primarily attributable to the ratio of foreign taxable earnings to global taxable earnings. Net income for the three months ended April 30, 2025, was a record $108.3 million and earnings per diluted share were $1.16. On June 4, 2019, the Company's Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of 20 million common shares under a share repurchase program. During the three months ended April 30, 2025, the Company repurchased and subsequently retired 3.3 million shares for approximately $152 million. During the twelve months ended January 31, 2025, the Company repurchased and subsequently retired 1.2 million shares for approximately $52 million. As of April 30, 2025, 14.7 million common shares were remaining under the program. During the three months ended April 30, 2025, the Company opened a total of 13 new retail locations including: 9 Free People stores (including 5 FP Movement stores), 2 Anthropologie stores and 2 Urban Outfitters stores; and closed 2 Free People stores. Urban Outfitters, Inc. offers lifestyle-oriented general merchandise and consumer products and services through a portfolio of global consumer brands comprised of 257 Urban Outfitters stores in the United States, Canada and Europe and websites; 241 Anthropologie stores in the United States, Canada and Europe, catalogs and websites; 237 Free People stores (including 68 FP Movement stores) in the United States, Canada and Europe, catalogs and websites, 9 Menus & Venues restaurants, 7 Urban Outfitters franchisee-owned stores and 2 Anthropologie franchisee-owned stores as of April 30, 2025. Free People, FP Movement and Urban Outfitters wholesale sell their products through department and specialty stores worldwide, digital businesses and the Company's Retail segment. Nuuly is primarily a women's apparel subscription rental service which offers a wide selection of rental product from the Company's own brands, third-party brands and one-of-a-kind vintage pieces. A conference call will be held today to discuss first quarter results and will be webcast at 5:00 pm. ET at: As used in this document, unless otherwise defined, "Anthropologie" refers to the Company's Anthropologie and Terrain brands and "Free People" refers to the Company's Free People and FP Movement brands. This news release is being made pursuant to the 'safe harbor' provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Certain matters contained in this release may contain forward-looking statements. When used in this release, the words 'project,' 'believe,' 'plan,' 'will,' 'anticipate,' 'expect' and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Any one, or all, of the following factors could cause actual financial results to differ materially from those financial results mentioned in the forward-looking statements: overall economic and market conditions (including current levels of inflation) and worldwide political events and the resultant impact on consumer spending patterns and our pricing power, the difficulty in predicting and responding to shifts in fashion trends, changes in the level of competitive pricing and promotional activity and other industry factors, the effects of the implementation of the United Kingdom's withdrawal from membership in the European Union (commonly referred to as 'Brexit'), including currency fluctuations, economic conditions and legal or regulatory changes, any effects of war, including geopolitical instability, impacts of the conflict in the Middle East and impacts of the war between Russia and Ukraine and from related sanctions imposed by the United States, European Union, United Kingdom and others, terrorism and civil unrest, natural disasters, severe or unseasonable weather conditions (including as a result of climate change) or public health crises (such as the coronavirus (COVID-19)), labor shortages and increases in labor costs, raw material costs and transportation costs, availability of suitable retail space for expansion, timing of store openings, risks associated with international expansion, seasonal fluctuations in gross sales, response to new concepts, our ability to integrate acquisitions, risks associated with digital sales, our ability to maintain and expand our digital sales channels, any material disruptions or security breaches with respect to our technology systems, our effective utilization of technological advancements, including in artificial intelligence, the departure of one or more key senior executives, import risks (including any shortage of transportation capacities or delays at ports), changes to U.S. and foreign trade policies (including the enactment of tariffs such as retaliatory tariffs, border adjustment taxes or increases in duties or quotas, the unexpected closing or disruption of, or any damage to, any of our distribution centers, our ability to protect our intellectual property rights, failure of our manufacturers and third-party vendors to comply with our social compliance program, risks related to environmental, social and governance activities, changes in our effective income tax rate, changes in accounting standards and subjective assumptions, regulatory changes and legal matters and other risks identified in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update forward-looking statements even if experience or future changes make it clear that actual results may differ materially from any projected results expressed or implied therein. Contact: Oona McCullough Executive Director of Investor Relations (215) 454-4806 (Tables follow) URBAN OUTFITTERS, Consolidated Statements of Income(amounts in thousands, except share and per share data)(unaudited) Three Months Ended April 30, 2025 2024 Net sales $ 1,329,501 $ 1,200,732 Cost of sales (excluding store impairment and lease abandonment charges) 840,437 787,746 Store impairment and lease abandonment charges — 4,601 Gross profit 489,064 408,385 Selling, general and administrative expenses 360,837 333,761 Income from operations 128,227 74,624 Other income, net 9,646 6,246 Income before income taxes 137,873 80,870 Income tax expense 29,526 19,105 Net income $ 108,347 $ 61,765 Net income per common share: Basic $ 1.18 $ 0.66 Diluted $ 1.16 $ 0.65 Weighted-average common shares outstanding: Basic 91,752,408 93,124,568 Diluted 93,475,835 95,000,706 AS A PERCENTAGE OF NET SALES Net sales 100.0 % 100.0 % Cost of sales (excluding store impairment and lease abandonment charges) 63.2 % 65.6 % Store impairment and lease abandonment charges — 0.4 % Gross profit 36.8 % 34.0 % Selling, general and administrative expenses 27.2 % 27.8 % Income from operations 9.6 % 6.2 % Other income, net 0.8 % 0.5 % Income before income taxes 10.4 % 6.7 % Income tax expense 2.3 % 1.6 % Net income 8.1 % 5.1 % URBAN OUTFITTERS, Consolidated Balance Sheets(amounts in thousands, except share data)(unaudited) April 30, January 31, April 30, 2025 2025 2024 ASSETS Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 189,433 $ 290,481 $ 173,995 Marketable securities 285,585 319,949 312,558 Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $1,964, $1,384 and $933, respectively 93,248 74,014 88,297 Inventory 663,803 621,146 578,990 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 206,990 187,206 219,886 Total current assets 1,439,059 1,492,796 1,373,726 Property and equipment, net 1,346,557 1,331,077 1,304,548 Operating lease right-of-use assets 973,831 942,666 910,965 Marketable securities 365,937 410,208 287,178 Other assets 331,692 342,733 312,285 Total Assets $ 4,457,076 $ 4,519,480 $ 4,188,702 LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY Current liabilities: Accounts payable $ 302,104 $ 295,767 $ 321,443 Current portion of operating lease liabilities 231,361 227,149 224,100 Accrued expenses, accrued compensation and other current liabilities 495,593 552,763 488,681 Total current liabilities 1,029,058 1,075,679 1,034,224 Non-current portion of operating lease liabilities 909,168 871,209 849,917 Other non-current liabilities 87,043 101,088 142,227 Total Liabilities 2,025,269 2,047,976 2,026,368 Shareholders' equity: Preferred shares; $.0001 par value, 10,000,000 shares authorized, none issued — — — Common shares; $.0001 par value, 200,000,000 shares authorized, 89,614,734, 92,281,748 and 93,379,211 shares issued and outstanding, respectively 9 9 9 Additional paid-in-capital — 15,067 31,572 Retained earnings 2,460,876 2,503,068 2,175,500 Accumulated other comprehensive loss (29,078 ) (46,640 ) (44,747 ) Total Shareholders' Equity 2,431,807 2,471,504 2,162,334 Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity $ 4,457,076 $ 4,519,480 $ 4,188,702 URBAN OUTFITTERS, Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows(amounts in thousands) (unaudited) Three Months Ended April 30, 2025 2024 Cash flows from operating activities: Net income $ 108,347 $ 61,765 Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities: Depreciation and amortization 29,554 27,761 Non-cash lease expense 52,805 51,470 Provision for deferred income taxes 13,701 12,735 Share-based compensation expense 7,763 7,599 Amortization of tax credit investment 4,293 4,380 Store impairment and lease abandonment charges — 4,601 Loss on disposition of property and equipment, net 94 135 Changes in assets and liabilities: Receivables (15,036 ) (21,512 ) Inventory (37,386 ) (29,818 ) Prepaid expenses and other assets (17,058 ) (37,542 ) Payables, accrued expenses and other liabilities (54,114 ) 36,663 Operating lease liabilities (59,931 ) (59,686 ) Net cash provided by operating activities 33,032 58,551 Cash flows from investing activities: Cash paid for property and equipment (46,158 ) (41,091 ) Cash paid for marketable securities (117,878 ) (95,799 ) Sales and maturities of marketable securities 203,416 91,081 Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities 39,380 (45,809 ) Cash flows from financing activities: Proceeds from the exercise of stock options — 475 Share repurchases related to share repurchase program (151,935 ) — Share repurchases related to taxes for share-based awards (20,241 ) (14,445 ) Tax credit investment liability payments (4,172 ) (1,341 ) Net cash used in financing activities (176,348 ) (15,311 ) Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents 2,888 (1,757 ) Decrease in cash and cash equivalents (101,048 ) (4,326 ) Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period 290,481 178,321 Cash and cash equivalents at end of period $ 189,433 $ 173,995 Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Yahoo
Olmsted County judge denies ex-state trooper Shane Roper's motion to dismiss charges
May 21—ROCHESTER — An Olmsted County judge will allow evidence related to Shane Roper's driving history, according to an order filed Wednesday, May 21. Roper, 33, the former Minnesota State Patrol trooper involved in a fatal crash that resulted in the death of 18-year-old Olivia Flores, is facing nine criminal charges in Olmsted County District Court, including felony counts of second-degree manslaughter, criminal vehicular homicide and criminal vehicular operation. The crash occurred around 5:45 p.m. on Saturday, May 18, 2024, at the intersection of Memorial Parkway and 12th Street Southwest, near Apache Mall. Flores sat in the back seat of her friend's Ford Focus when the car was struck by a Minnesota State Patrol squad car, driven by Roper. In Wednesday's order, District Judge Lisa Hayne first denied the defense's motions to dismiss all charges. Hayne also rejected the defense's orders to require the state to produce state patrol instructor manuals and to strike "irrelevant" details from the charging document. The defense argued in a previous court document to strike certain language in the criminal complaint, likely in paragraphs referring to Roper's driving record, his driving pattern leading up to the crash and state patrol's training records. The state argued that Roper's driving history would be admissible Spreigl evidence, or evidence relating to a defendant's prior actions that may help prove motive or identity. According to Wednesday's order, the judge agreed with the state. "The evidence outlined in these paragraphs ... would be relevant to show: Mr. Roper's knowledge of the dangers of excessive speed, knowledge of the speed his car was traveling right before the accident, intent to drive at a speed known to be dangerous, the dangers of inattentive driving, or lack of mistake as to the position of his lights," Hayne wrote. Minnesota State Patrol disciplinary records revealed that Roper had been suspended twice for violating the agency's policies and procedures. He was involved in four crashes caused by inattentive driving or excessive speed. Law enforcement revealed that three hours leading up to the fatal crash on May 18, 2024, Roper accelerated to over 99 mph while attempting to initiate traffic stops. There was a consistent pattern of Roper reaching and maintaining high speeds without activating his emergency lights or turning them off while driving at high rates of speed. The complaint said Roper was also found traveling at 135 mph in a 55-mph zone on May 18 in response to a medical assistance call. "That is," Hayne wrote, "there is evidence he knew his driving conduct was reckless and risky but may have chosen to proceed with his conduct out of frustration with being delayed by an interfering vehicle." The motion for a change of venue is reserved until a later date. Hayne scheduled Roper's plea hearing for May 29. According to the criminal complaint, Roper quickly approached the intersection of Apache Drive Southwest, an area where the primary entry points to the Apache Mall are located. This area tends to have "very active traffic ... on a typical Saturday." When Roper's car was 400 feet from the intersection, the squad camera showed a green traffic signal for eastbound traffic. A larger SUV also traveling east entered the left turn lane to go onto Memorial Parkway Southwest, obstructing the view for vehicles turning onto Apache Drive Southwest, the complaint said. A Ford Focus with three passengers was in that turn lane and attempted to drive through the intersection. "Due to Roper's excessive speed (traveling 83 miles per hour and at full throttle up until 1.4 seconds before impact), when the Ford Focus started through the intersection, Roper was unable to sufficiently brake or maneuver his squad car to avoid the collision," the complaint says. Roper's squad car hit the passenger side of the Ford Focus, the vehicle Flores was in, while traveling at least 55 mph. The impact sent both cars east through the intersection to collide with a Toyota Rav4. There were two people in the Toyota. Witnesses told police that the oncoming vehicle was "flying." Witnesses did not see or hear emergency lights or a siren. According to the complaint, the Ford Focus driver sustained a liver laceration, a bruised kidney and numerous additional minor injuries. The front passenger sustained a broken pelvis, lacerated kidney and other minor injuries. The passengers of the Toyota Rav4 sustained physical pain from the collision. In the squad car, Roper had a ride-along passenger who sustained rib bruising and multiple fractures from the crash. Roper was also injured. Weeks after the incident, Roper confirmed to law enforcement that he was attempting to "close the gap" between his squad car and a vehicle suspected of being in violation of a traffic code, the Post Bulletin previously reported. Roper said it was not an active pursuit and that he was not paying attention to his speed, according to the criminal complaint. He told police he did believe his lights were activated.
The Advertiser
11-05-2025
- Sport
- The Advertiser
Hayne sets up try, gets through return game unscathed
Jarryd Hayne got through his rugby league return unscathed, laying on a try in front of a few hundred people in the third-tier Ron Massey Cup for Wentworthville. Playing in his first game since September 2018, Hayne had plenty of touches at five-eighth and offered one glimpse of his past self against Canterbury. With scores locked at 14-14, the former Parramatta favourite produced a three-man cut-out ball for his winger Austin Quast to go over. The play proved decisive, with Wentworthville going on to win the game 22-14 at Ringrose Park. The No.6 had earlier gone close to scoring in the first half, putting his second-rower Felix Niutili-Schmidt through a hole and almost going over himself from dummy-half on the next play. Hayne's comeback came after a hamstring injury had ruled him out of the opening seven rounds of the competition, with the Magpies taking a conservative approach. Now aged 37, Hayne was cheered on to the ground by a small crowd, with some fans holding up posters celebrating his career. The former NSW and Australian representative last played for the Eels at the end of the 2018 season, and was left unsigned as he pushed for a new deal. But any hope of that was killed when he was charged with two counts of sexual intercourse without consent. The fullback spent more than a year in prison and was found guilty following two trials, but was released last June when his conviction was overturned. Hayne had maintained his innocence throughout the process, and the charges were ultimately dropped after his successful appeal. The two-time Dally M Medal winner stepped back into rugby league as part of Fiji's coaching staff during last year's Pacific Championships. He then briefly featured in a Nines tournament on the Gold Coast in January, before the hamstring injury derailed that weekend and his return to play at Wentworthville. The Magpies act as a feeder club to Parramatta, but any return to the NRL is extremely unlikely. At best, Hayne has not given up hope of playing for Fiji again. Jarryd Hayne got through his rugby league return unscathed, laying on a try in front of a few hundred people in the third-tier Ron Massey Cup for Wentworthville. Playing in his first game since September 2018, Hayne had plenty of touches at five-eighth and offered one glimpse of his past self against Canterbury. With scores locked at 14-14, the former Parramatta favourite produced a three-man cut-out ball for his winger Austin Quast to go over. The play proved decisive, with Wentworthville going on to win the game 22-14 at Ringrose Park. The No.6 had earlier gone close to scoring in the first half, putting his second-rower Felix Niutili-Schmidt through a hole and almost going over himself from dummy-half on the next play. Hayne's comeback came after a hamstring injury had ruled him out of the opening seven rounds of the competition, with the Magpies taking a conservative approach. Now aged 37, Hayne was cheered on to the ground by a small crowd, with some fans holding up posters celebrating his career. The former NSW and Australian representative last played for the Eels at the end of the 2018 season, and was left unsigned as he pushed for a new deal. But any hope of that was killed when he was charged with two counts of sexual intercourse without consent. The fullback spent more than a year in prison and was found guilty following two trials, but was released last June when his conviction was overturned. Hayne had maintained his innocence throughout the process, and the charges were ultimately dropped after his successful appeal. The two-time Dally M Medal winner stepped back into rugby league as part of Fiji's coaching staff during last year's Pacific Championships. He then briefly featured in a Nines tournament on the Gold Coast in January, before the hamstring injury derailed that weekend and his return to play at Wentworthville. The Magpies act as a feeder club to Parramatta, but any return to the NRL is extremely unlikely. At best, Hayne has not given up hope of playing for Fiji again. Jarryd Hayne got through his rugby league return unscathed, laying on a try in front of a few hundred people in the third-tier Ron Massey Cup for Wentworthville. Playing in his first game since September 2018, Hayne had plenty of touches at five-eighth and offered one glimpse of his past self against Canterbury. With scores locked at 14-14, the former Parramatta favourite produced a three-man cut-out ball for his winger Austin Quast to go over. The play proved decisive, with Wentworthville going on to win the game 22-14 at Ringrose Park. The No.6 had earlier gone close to scoring in the first half, putting his second-rower Felix Niutili-Schmidt through a hole and almost going over himself from dummy-half on the next play. Hayne's comeback came after a hamstring injury had ruled him out of the opening seven rounds of the competition, with the Magpies taking a conservative approach. Now aged 37, Hayne was cheered on to the ground by a small crowd, with some fans holding up posters celebrating his career. The former NSW and Australian representative last played for the Eels at the end of the 2018 season, and was left unsigned as he pushed for a new deal. But any hope of that was killed when he was charged with two counts of sexual intercourse without consent. The fullback spent more than a year in prison and was found guilty following two trials, but was released last June when his conviction was overturned. Hayne had maintained his innocence throughout the process, and the charges were ultimately dropped after his successful appeal. The two-time Dally M Medal winner stepped back into rugby league as part of Fiji's coaching staff during last year's Pacific Championships. He then briefly featured in a Nines tournament on the Gold Coast in January, before the hamstring injury derailed that weekend and his return to play at Wentworthville. The Magpies act as a feeder club to Parramatta, but any return to the NRL is extremely unlikely. At best, Hayne has not given up hope of playing for Fiji again.
Sydney Morning Herald
11-05-2025
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
Grounded for almost seven years, rugby league's Hayne Plane is back
It's a long haul from Maroubra to Wentworthville, and it's not a trip Sydney Roosters fan Jed Necco makes regularly. But on Sunday, he made an exception, specifically to cheer on 'one of the best players I've ever seen'. That player was Jarryd Hayne, who returned to rugby league after 2444 days on the sidelines. 'I've been a fan since I was five years old,' Necco said. 'I actually go for the Roosters, but my dad was a Parramatta fan and used to take me to their games, and he [Hayne] was probably my favourite player of my childhood.' The now 36-year-old Hayne - a one-time NRL superstar who famously switched codes and played for San Francisco 49ers in America's NFL - launched his comeback in front of a few hundred fans, playing for Wentworthville Magpies against Canterbury in the lower-tier Ron Massey Cup competition at Ringrose Park. He last appeared in the NRL for Parramatta on September 1, 2018, a few weeks before the incident that changed his life and effectively ended his elite-level football career. On NRL grand final night, 2018, Hayne made a visit to a woman's house in Newcastle that led to him being tried three times for sexual assault and subsequently jailed. His first trial ended in a hung jury; he was convicted after the second but successfully appealed, and the third trial resulted in his conviction being quashed. He was released from jail, as a free man, last June.
