2 weeks ago
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Former NRL player Jarryd Hayne is looking in top shape as he prepares to step back onto the footy field next week.
His six-and-a-half-year rugby league exile came to an end earlier this year, after Hayne, 37, returned to the pitch to play for the Wentworthville Magpies during a Ron Massey Cup match against Canterbury back in May.
The former Parramatta full-back showed no signs of rustiness either, with the 37-year-old, whose return could have come earlier in the year at the Gold Coast Nines had it not been for a hamstring issue, helping the Magpies seal victory, setting up a try to level the scores in the second half.
His NRL career came to an abrupt end in 2018, after he was charged with aggravated sexual assault.
After multiple trials, Hayne was sentenced to four years and nine months in jail in 2023, after a jury had found him guilty of two counts of sexual intercourse without consent.
The former NRL player spent a year in prison before his conviction was overturned following an appeal in November 2023. The New South Wales Court of Appeal quashed his convictions on the basis that a judge had erred in not allowing a complainant not to be further cross-examined during the trial.
Former NRL player Jarryd Hayne appears to have been hitting the gym, as he showed off a much leaner figure ahead of his return to the rugby league field
Hayne's NRL career came to an abrupt end in 2018, after he was charged with aggravated sexual assault. He would be sentenced to jail time in 2023 after a jury found him guilty of two counts of sexual intercourse without consent. The conviction was quashed in 2024 and he was later released from jail
Hayne (centre) made his return to the footy field in May of this year following his release from prison
He walked free on June 12, 2024, and has since kept a fairly low profile, notably spending time with his young family, while also taking up a coaching role with Fiji's rugby league side.
Hayne also appears to have been working out, too, with the former Parramatta Eels star cutting a much leaner figure than he did when he left prison back in 2024.
The former Parramatta and Gold Coast Titans star has been gearing up for his debut for the Campbelltown Saints during their Community Day this coming Saturday at the Waminda Oval.
Over the weekend, he took to Facebook and Instagram to show off his lean figure, with Hayne looking fit enough to run out in the NRL.
'Campbelltown Saints community jersey,' he wrote, as he posed for pictures in a maroon Campbelltown Saints shirt.
'Excited to play next week representing Ctown. Waminda oval 4:30pm. Food trucks, bar, 3 games of footy.'
Hayne's last NRL appearance would come back in 2018, with the full-back, who also represented New South Wales on 23 occasions, having also enjoyed a spell in the NFL, after being drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in 2015.
Back in May, Hayne spoke openly about what it was like to get back onto the footy field, stating that he hadn't necessarily missed playing rugby league until a year ago, after making his return to the field with Wentworthville.
He is now set to make another return to the field for the Campbeltown Saints next Saturday during their Community Day festival
Hayne turned out for the Wentworthville Magpies earlier this year, adding that he 'probably hadn't missed playing rugby league
He had also told reporters that he had hoped to potentially make a return to play for Fiji but admitted that his body was not in the best shape after being released from prison.
'I want to do what I can to play Test football for Fiji at the end of the year. They're due to play against Papua New Guinea and the Cook Islands. That's the aim.
'Wise [Kativerata, Fiji coach] called me last year and asked if I wanted to play. I told him I'm not in shape, and said: "I wish you had told me earlier because I would have played local footy". I've been out of the game for so long.
'I try to explain to people it's about the contact. When you're playing regularly, and you're hit on a regular basis, your body gets [used to it].
Reflecting on his return to the pitch for the Magpies, Hayne said: 'It's been a journey, but it's life. We move forward.'
He added: '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.
'For me, it's about playing footy and having fun again.'
