- Kurtley Beale was emotional on Saturday
- The 35-year-old played for the Western Force
- Beale has had a long journey back to rugby
Kurtley Beale could not contain his emotions as the veteran rugby star was welcomed back to the highest level of his sport this weekend.
Beale, 35, rolled back the years with an impressive performance for the Western Force, helping his side secure a surprise 37-15 win over the Crusaders in Perth, the first time they have beaten their rivals in 11 years.
That result lifted the club from the bottom of the Super Rugby table and also marked Beale’s first top-level domestic match in Australia in more than four years.
He had enjoyed a spell at French club Racing 92 before becoming embroiled in legal proceedings after being accused of rape.
In February, Beale was found not guilty of raping a woman in the bathrooms of Bondi’s Beach Road Hotel in 2022 and has been working hard to restart his playing career.
Kurtley Beale was emotional after receiving his Western Force cap this weekend
The Force released a video of Beale receiving his cap from Force coach Simon Cron and he couldn’t contain his emotions.
“Wow, this is pretty emotional for me,” he said, his voice shaking.
‘I’ve been out of action for a year. I have been waiting for this opportunity for a long time and I am so happy that it is at a great club like the Force and with a great group of men like you.
‘It’s just great to be part of the group and I would like to thank the club for welcoming my family. We absolutely love it here and we look forward to adding to the club and the group and hopefully making it a special season.
“So thank you.”
Beale rolled back the years in his first match in Super Rugby in more than four years
After the match, Force captain Nic White paid tribute to Beale, saying his leadership was hugely influential in securing the win.
“I’m going to give the KB a lot of credit for that,” White told Stan Sport.
“The voice that KB raised as soon as he walked in – it would have been easy to come in and stay quiet, he’s new to this system.
“But he immediately became a real leader and someone who benefited from that voice is Donno.”