NRL clubs look at signing Kurtley Beale after Wallabies star was cleared of raping a woman in a Bondi pub toilet

NRL clubs including Canterbury are considering signing former Wallaby player Kurtley Beale following his acquittal from sexual assault charges, it has been reported.

A jury found the former New South Wales Waratahs and Wallabies star not guilty of the rape of a woman in a toilet cubicle in a Bondi Beach hotel in December 2022.

The jury found him not guilty on three counts of rape on February 9.

Now 35, Beale is hoping for one final footy contract and has not ruled out a move to the NRL, with several clubs reportedly interested in the former international.

The Bulldogs are one club that has been approached about the possibility of recruiting Beale, according to News Corp.

Beale (pictured outside court) was found not guilty of three counts of rape after the allegations were made following a night out at a Bondi venue

While the Bulldogs are discussing the option and have not ruled it out, their impressive pre-season performance has led them to delay immediate plans for roster reinforcement, the report said. 

Additionally, French rugby clubs are expressing interest in securing the 35-year-old former star.

Beale expressed interest in rugby league following his clearance in court, but it seems he’s leaning more towards pursuing a deal in rugby union overseas. 

Despite this, NRL clubs have been approached to gauge their interest in signing him for at least this season, allowing him to fulfill a long-standing desire to play rugby league. 

Beale, who grew up in western Sydney, has openly admired rugby league and played 95 Tests for the Wallabies. 

He missed selection for last year’s World Cup due to the court case and has been maintaining his fitness under the guidance of sprint coach Roger Fabri.

It appears unlikely that Beale will return to Super Rugby with the NSW Waratahs and he is exploring options in rugby league

The battling Bulldogs are one club that could hold talks with Beale as they look to overcome several years of pain and rise up the NRL ladder

Beale faced one count of sexual intercourse without consent and two counts of sexual touching in the NSW District Court, following an alleged incident at Bondi’s Beach Road Hotel in December 2022.

The woman, who cannot be legally identified, claimed Beale touched her backside and forced her to perform oral sex in a toilet cubicle.

After hearing legal directions from Judge Graham Turnbull, the jury deliberated for only a few hours before returning the verdicts.

‘Gosh, I’m just so relieved,’ Beale said after the trial. 

‘That’s human nature, that natural reaction, we have to doubt and wonder if the truth will ever come out, if things will work out the way they should.

‘I just had to stay focused, train every day, and I was lucky I had the people around me to allow me to do that.’