‘It’s definitely a desire’ – Kurtley Beale’s bold revelation after shining for the Force

Western Force utility back Kurtley Beale has revealed that he still has ambitions of playing for the Wallabies again and knows that helping the Perth-based outfit to reach the Super Rugby Pacific play-offs could help him achieve that goal.

Beale has represented Australia in 95 Tests – of which the last one was in 2021 – and has been in fine form for the Force after joining them on a short-term deal until the end of the season.

He made his Force debut at full-back in their Round Nine Super Rugby Pacific victory over the Crusaders in Perth a month ago and has worn the number 15 jersey in all his new club’s matches since then.

The 35-year-old’s international career appeared to be over after he was suspended at the start of 2023 due to sexual assault allegations which were made against him.

Long spell on the sidelines

Beale spent 14 months on the sidelines due to his suspension but in February he was found not guilty of raping a woman in the toilets of a Sydney bar in December 2022.

After being cleared of those allegations, Beale made some appearances for Sydney club side Randwick before joining the Force and is now hoping his form for his new team is rewarded with a Wallabies recall.

“Yeah absolutely. It’s definitely a desire,” Beale told AAP. “But I know I’ve just got to keep playing some footy now. I’m doing that here at the Force and trying to have an impact here.

“Push the team to a final series is my main focus at the moment.”

After it was announced that he was joining the Force last month, he revealed that he has had a conversation with incoming Wallabies boss Joe Schmidt, who was in attendance when Beale produced a superb display in the Force’s 48-10 victory over the Fijian Drua in Perth recently.

The Force then sealed a 27-7 home victory over the Waratahs on Saturday – a result which elevated them to ninth position in the standings, just two points adrift of the Drua, who are occupying the final quarter-final spot with two rounds of matches to play.

All Blacks legend backs ‘fantastic’ Kurtley Beale to make Wallabies return

While most players have retired from international rugby at Beale’s age, that’s not on his mind and he feels he still has plenty to give to the game.

“I think being out (for that period) has enabled me to put a lot of focus on my physical and mental wellbeing,” Beale said.

“I’ve trained a lot, I did a lot of mental work in terms of making sure I’m in the right headspace.

“And being away from the game, it actually made me appreciate the game a lot more, which is really nice.

“I’m just absolutely loving being back playing rugby.”

Keen to extend Force stay

He also said he is enjoying his time at the Force and is hoping to extend his stay at the club beyond this season.

“It’s a beautiful city, Perth,” Beale said.

“It’s a great club here. Great people within it and everyone’s all wanting to push for success.

“If things work out, that’d be great. But my focus is just trying to push the team for the final series, and it’s an exciting challenge.”

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