Latest news with #Wentworthville
Daily Mail
11-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
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.
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.
West Australian
11-05-2025
- Sport
- West Australian
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.
Perth Now
11-05-2025
- Sport
- Perth Now
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.
7NEWS
07-05-2025
- Sport
- 7NEWS
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.
