Beale has penned a one-year deal with the NSW Waratahs and Rugby Australia which could see him within reaching distance of the organisation’s all-time appearance record.
This latest deal will see the versatile back enter his eleventh season as a NSW Waratah, in a journey that began as a 16-year-old following his time at St Joseph’s College and the Australian Schoolboys.
Beale currently has 156 Super Rugby caps to his name, with 142 of them in the sky blue of New South Wales – just nine games shy of Benn Robinson’s all-time record.
Named NSW Waratahs Back of the Year in 2018, Beale also sits fourth on the all-time point scoring list (473).
Beale has a Test career featuring 83 caps and a John Eales Medal (2011), and will embark on a third Rugby World Cup campaign later this year after being an integral part of the Wallaby’s 2011 and 2015 efforts.
Deployed as an inside centre and fullback during the 2019 Super Rugby campaign, Beale can also play at fly-half providing plenty of options and experience in key positions for 2020.
NSWRU General Manager of Rugby, Tim Rapp said that Beale’s leadership within a young group of outside backs was a major factor in his re-signing.
“Kurtey is an extremely talented player, there’s no doubting that,” Rapp said.
“We’ve seen what he can do on the field over a number of years, the positions he can cover in the backline and the way he can break a game open from anywhere.
“Kurtley is going to have a really important role to play with some of our younger outside backs – like Lalakai [Foketi], Cam [Clarke] and Alex [Newsome] – imparting the experience he’s gained at Super Rugby and Test level with those guys.
“He’s embraced his role as a senior figure over the last two seasons and we want him to take that to another level, because we feel he has a really important role to play both on and off the field in 2020.”
Speaking while on break from Wallaby camp during the 2019 Rugby Championship, Beale said he was happy to remain at the club where it all began for him.
“I’ve spent the vast majority of my career here in New South Wales representing the Waratahs, it’s been an honour and something I’ll always be thankful for,” Beale said.
“To represent your home state in a competition like Super Rugby, having made wonderful memories and friends is really special – I’m looking forward to building on that in 2020.
“Obviously, World Cup years bring about change and we’re in an exciting period here at the Waratahs with some exciting young players and a new coach to be appointed.
“To be able to play a part in that journey is exciting, and I’m looking forward to seeing what we can achieve in 2020.”
