Rugby League star Jarryd Hayne charged with sexual assault and ordered to appear in Sydney court

Police said they launched the investigation after a woman alleged that she had been sexually assaulted by a man she met on social media on 30 September

Tuesday 20 November 2018 05:13 EST
(Getty)

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National Rugby League star Jarryd Hayne has been charged with sexual assault and will appear in a Sydney court next month.

The 30-year-old Hayne went to a Sydney police station with his manager on Monday and was later charged over the alleged sexual assault of a 26-year-old woman on 30 September, the night of the NRL final between Sydney Roosters and Melbourne Storm.

The ex-Australia full-back, who spent a season with the San Francisco 49ers in the NFL before returning to rugby league via a brief stint with Fiji's rugby sevens squad in 2016, was granted bail on the condition he surrender his passport and don't go to the city of Newcastle, north of Sydney.

Police said they launched the investigation after the woman alleged that she had been sexually assaulted by a man she met on social media.

Hayne, who is currently without a contract after leaving the Parramatta Eels at the end of the season, is set to appear at the Burwood Local Court on 10 December.

He has scored 121 tries in 214 NRL games since making his debut in 2006 and helped the Eels reach the grand final in 2009, where they lost to Melbourne Storm.

A Parramatta spokesman told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. that the club would not comment because it was a court matter.

Hayne was part of the Australia squad that won the Rugby World Cup in 2013, though he also qualifies for Fiji through his father and represented them at the 2017 edition of the tournament.

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