Jarryd Hayne makes stunning return to footy just months after beating rape conviction

Former Parramatta Eels star Jarryd Hayne has returned to top-flight football by joining Fiji’s team for the upcoming rugby league Pacific Championship, just four months after he was released from prison when his rape conviction was quashed.

The 36-year-old will act as a mentor to the side after being invited to their camp for the tournament, which starts on Friday.

Hayne played 120 games for Fiji from 2008 to 2018 and also played five games for the Sevens national rugby team. He described his new position on Monday as “great.”

“On the way to the airport yesterday, watching that documentary from ’08 [Rugby League World Cup] team following us in the village, it has been a long journey… 16 to 17 years,” he said.

‘From barracks to now we are in five-star hotels. We’ve come a long way. It’s always good to reminisce.’

Fiji coach Wise Kativerata contacted Hayne after he was released from prison and the appointment developed from there.

“I called him to talk to him and see how he was doing,” Kativerata told the newspaper Sydney Morning Herald.

“I wanted to make sure he was okay. He was happy to hear from us.

The ex-Parramatta star (pictured playing for the Eels in 2014) will work as a mentor for the national side during the Pacific Championship, which starts next Friday.

The 36-year-old is pictured being released from prison after serving a prison sentence for a rape conviction, which was later overturned

‘After a while I told him about the rugby league in Fiji and how it really needed a lift.

“Then I asked him to come along and help with the team because I knew it would be good for him and for us.

“At first he thought I was joking.”

The NRL has approved Hayne’s employment with the team.

In August, Sydney-based rugby club Two Blues offered the ex-star the chance to play for them when he was spotted training with famed sprint coach Roger Fabri, who is known for his work with NRL players such as James Tedesco and Josh Addo. Carr.

Hayne, 36, was released on June 12 after his convictions were quashed, having spent more than a year behind bars after a jury found him guilty of two counts of sexual intercourse without consent in April 2023.

The decision by the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal ended a six-year saga that saw the two-time Dally M winner face three trials after being accused of raping a woman in Newcastle during the 2018 NRL grand final .

After regaining his freedom, Hayne has kept a low profile as he reintegrated himself into life with his family.

At the height of his glittering football career, he once received a salary of a million dollars and hundreds of thousands in sponsorship deals.

But Hayne is now a far cry from the man who was predicted in 2015 to become Australia’s highest-paid sportsman.

The legal ordeal has had a devastating impact on his finances, eroded by years of legal fees – a situation made worse by the fact that he was allegedly defrauded of $780,000 by a fellow inmate in a Bitcoin scam.

Lyall Mercer, public relations and crisis communications strategist, said it is “unfortunate that we live in an age where reputation is determined by commentary and speculation on social media rather than facts.”

At the height of his fame, Hayne played for the San Francisco 49ers in the NFL (pictured) after winning two Dally M Medals as the best player in the NRL

“Everyone deserves a fair trial and Jarryd has gone through the legal process which has ultimately determined that at this stage he is still innocent until proven guilty,” he told Ny Breaking Australia.

‘If there is no retrial, he will remain innocent, despite what everyone thinks.

“Jarryd has a journey ahead of him to rebuild his reputation, which has been destroyed.

Mercer pointed out that the NRL, where Hayne twice received the Dally M player of the year medal, is littered with stars who have been found guilty of crimes but have been given opportunities to repair their reputations.

“So it would be hypocritical for them (the NRL) to do anything less than offer support to Jarryd – who has not been convicted at this stage – and welcome him back into their community,” Mercer said.