Kurtley Beale extends contract with Australian rugby

Kurtley Beale has withstood the elite talent drain from Australian rugby after he extends contract with Waratahs and Wallabies in World Cup boost.

Kurtley Beale of the Waratahs (centre) is seen during the Round 14 Super Rugby match between the Queensland Reds and the NSW Waratahs at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, Saturday, May 18, 2019. (AAP Image/Dan Peled) NO ARCHIVING, EDITORIAL USE ONLY

Wallabies star Kurtley Beale has signed a one-year contract with the NSW Waratahs, driven by the desire to win more silverware.

Beale said winning just one premiership (2014) as well as two Rugby Championships (2011 and 2015) from a professional career that began in 2007, was the prime motivation to continue playing Super Rugby.

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Kurtley Beale has signed a one-year contract with the Waratahs. Picture: AAP Image/Craig Golding

“I feel like there’s a lot more to achieve in Australian rugby with the Waratahs,” he told News Corp.

“I know there’s a new generation of players coming through and I feel like I can put myself in positions to be able to achieve some special moments.” And while the Wallabies chances of winning this year’s Rugby Championship took a hit with the 35-17 loss to the Springboks on July 21, Beale said the future was bright for the national side.

“With the vision of how we’re playing the game at the moment — the new styles — it’s really exciting and it’s just great to be a part of it,” he said.

Kurtley Beale said he wants to extend his time in Australian rugby beyond this deal. Picture: AAP Image/Dan Peled

The 30-year-old fullback, who has represented Australia 85 times, said he wanted to sign a longer contract and believes he is capable of playing four to five more years at the elite level.

Beale’s commitment goes some way to reversing a trend in talent drain from Super Rugby, with Will Genia, Samu Kerevi, Quade Cooper, Bernard Foley and David Pocock set to leave the competition after the 2019 season.

Originally published as Kurtley Beale extends contract with Australian rugby