Former NRL star Jarryd Hayne has been found guilty of rape after a third trial jury deliberated for more than a week.
Hayne, 35, pleaded not guilty to two counts of sexual intercourse without consent and faced a two-week trial over the allegation in the NSW District Court.
It was alleged he performed non-consensual sex acts on a woman for about 30 seconds, ending when she began to bleed.
Hayne could be heard saying “it’s a disgrace” when the verdict was handed down.
He will not be taken into custody tonight, despite being twice convicted of a crime.
Hayne attended the Newcastle home she shared with her mother on NRL grand final night, when he was in town for a bucks’ weekend, paying for a taxi to wait outside before driving him to Sydney.
He was charged in November that year, after the allegation reached the NRL integrity unit.
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Hayne was a star rugby league player, playing most of his 214 NRL games for the Parramatta Eels as well as representing Australia and Fiji.
He played 23 State of Origin matches, including in NSW’s 2014 drought-breaking series win, the same year he won his second Dally M medal.
An attempt at gridiron with the US NFL’s San Francisco 49ers was followed by a Rugby Sevens stint with Fiji before a return to league.
He was off-contract when charged in November 2018.
Hayne will be sentenced on Thursday.
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