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Super Rugby: Kurtley Beale signs with Waratahs and ARU for 2018-19
Staff writers, FOX SPORTS
March 10, 2017 1:18pm
KURTLEY Beale will return to the Waratahs in 2018 after signing a two-year deal with the Super Rugby club, which will keep him in Australia until the end of the 2019 World Cup.
On Friday morning (AEDT), English Premiership club Wasps announced that their prized recruit would be leaving the competition leaders after one season.
And on Friday afternoon it was confirmed that Beale would be heading back to the Waratahs, whom he won a Super Rugby title with in 2014.
“It’s great to be heading back to Australian rugby,” Beale said.
“I’m really looking forward to getting back home to the NSW Waratahs but also hopefully pull on the gold jersey later this year as well.
“I think the best place for me and my rugby right now is in Australia and I love what Cheik (coach Michael Cheika) is doing with the Wallabies.
“l have to say thank you to Wasps though, for the opportunity they have given me and my partner and I have learned a lot about rugby and myself.
“It’s been a great experience.”
Michael Cheika says Kurtley Beale will have an important role to play for the national team.
Beale signed with the English club last May, but less than 24 hours after putting pen to paper he suffered a major patella injury which kept the versatile back on the sidelines until December.
Since returning from the injury, Beale has been in scintillating form and scored a brace of tries last weekend against Bath.
While Beale was eligible to play for the Wallabies last season — having met the criteria of playing 60 Tests and seven years of service in Australian rugby — his injury ruled him out of the entire international season and his absence was felt at both Test and Super Rugby level.
The Waratahs missed the finals for the first time since he re-joined the club in 2014, while the Wallabies managed just six wins in 15 matches.
While Beale is expected to return after the English season in late May, it’s understood he won’t play for the Waratahs this season.
Super Rugby winner Kurtley Beale has signed with the Waratahs and ARU.
Cheika, who signed Beale back to the Waratahs from the Rebels in 2014, said the playmaker will have an important role to play going forward with the Wallabies.
The coach had dangled the Wallabies No 12 jersey in front of Beale during contract discussions, an upgrade over his previous super-sub role.
“It’s great for Australian rugby that we have Kurtley coming back to play his footy on home soil,” Cheika said.
“Even though he’s only been gone a year, it’s a very different Wallabies team now but he will have an important role to play for Australia and the Waratahs as well.
“He has obviously learned a lot from his time overseas so I’ll be looking for him to help the team reach higher standards this year.”
Beale started just two matches for the Wallabies during the 2015 World Cup, but was one of Australia’s most influential players in their run to the final.
Japan and the Pacific Islands for Aussie Super 9's!
Let's have one of these in WA! Click this link: Saitama Super Arena - New Perth Stadium?
A tosser AND a miscreant.
Proudly Western Australian; Proudly supporting Western Australian rugby
Great to see him come back to Aus a great player and needed in the wallabies. I did think however that all of the Aus super teams were asked not to sign any contracts in the short term. Sigh I always forget that the normal rules don't apply to the Waratahs
Generally speaking you aren’t learning much if your lips are moving!!!
that's the thing isnt it, dont get me wrong i still think he should have been fired for the plane incident. But not going to complain about him (presumably) taking a rather large pay cut and coming back to Australian rugby (even if it is the tahs). Hopefully he comes back having continued, and is still continuing the personal & professional development that he started after everything went wrong for him.
I think they only asked that non-Wallaby contracting be put on hold.
"The main difference between playing League and Union is that now I get my hangovers on Monday instead of Sunday - Tom David
Not surprised at all. An indigenous lad becoming homesick is nothing unusual. It's just time that the farktards involved with the Wallabies realised that maybe we can survive without Kurtley.
At Bath he wasn't treated as the messiah. When he's back here and the media is fawning over him, how will he handle it?
do not rate him we have far better players coming through that aren!t dickheads and are not so far up themselves as he is
Your right Bath certainly didn't think he was the Messiah!
He did score against them though as he's actually playing for Wasps!
He's playing bloody well atm and I hate to have to say it but if he brings back the form he's playing with now there's no reason why he shouldn't fit straight back into the Wallabies.
We can only hope that he has learnt from his overseas jaunt and it filters through into his personal life.
May the FORCE be with you!