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The Waratahs will not be allowed to replace Kurtley Beale on their roster while the Wallaby fights sexual assault charges over coming months.
Beale has been stood down on full pay from all forms of rugby after being charged with the sexual assault of a woman in a Bondi hotel in the early hours of December 17. His lawyer said Beale would plead not guilty and fight to clear his name.
The Waratahs have been denied a request to draft in a replacement for Kurtley Beale, who has stood down while he fights sexual assault charges. Credit:Getty
With the case expected to drag on for most of the year, the Waratahs are resigned to losing Beale for the season but were disappointed to learn they would not be able to draft in a replacement for the 95-Test back.
He is essentially on rugby’s version of the NRL’s no-fault stand-down, but under the code’s new collective bargaining agreement between the players and Rugby Australia, the Waratahs are not allowed to replace him unless they can squeeze an extra player in under the existing salary cap and squad size rules.
With no wriggle room on either of those fronts, the club sought an exemption, but RA knocked them back.
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Even injury cover rules have changed. Last year the club signed Wales and British and Irish Lions centre Jamie Roberts on an injury cover contract, when young centre Joey Walton injured a knee in pre-season. Under the new agreement, a squad must have two injuries in the same position to sign a new player.
The new rules have left the Waratahs in limbo, with Beale afforded the presumption of innocence and a code of conduct process suspended until the court case is resolved, but the team punished nevertheless.
Meanwhile, new Wallabies coach Eddie Jones celebrated his first full day in the job with a sprinkles-covered cake, a suit fitting, new car, staff briefings and an entourage of cameras for a rumoured documentary in the works about his return to Australian rugby.