Jarryd Hayne #38 of the San Francisco 49ers looks on from the sidelines in 2016. Photo / Getty Images
Jarryd Hayne #38 of the San Francisco 49ers looks on from the sidelines in 2016. Photo / Getty Images
Former NRL superstar Jarryd Hayne's now completed sexual assault trial was not the first time he has been accused of rape.
Hayne, a two-time Dally M medal winner and Parramatta Eels great, was on Monday found guilty of sexually assaulting a young woman at a home in Newcastle in 2018.
But the 33-year-old also faced serious sexual assault allegations from a US woman, who claimed he forced himself on her during his stint playing for the San Francisco 49ers in the NFL five years ago.
Jarryd Hayne #38 of the San Francisco 49ers returns a punt 37-yards during the game against the Arizona Cardinals in 2015. Photo / Getty Images
He was never charged, with police saying there was insufficient evidence for criminal action, but in 2017 the woman sued the football star in the US District Court.
Hayne "unequivocally and vehemently" denied the accusations brought in Santa Clara County through his lawyers in Sydney.
The parties ended up settling the matter out of court for an undisclosed amount that was "mutually agreeable".
Hayne was being sued for sexual battery, battery, gender violence, intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligence.
According to court documents filed in the US lawsuit, Hayne met a woman through mutual friends at a bar in California after a 49ers game on December 21, 2015.
The two later caught an Uber to his home in San Jose.
The documents alleged the "heavily intoxicated" woman, aged in her 20s and known as JV, had little memory of arriving at his apartment.
Her next memory was of being in a bedroom and the silhouette of a man coming towards her.
She claimed he flipped her around and told her "no kissing" before she felt an "extremely sharp pain" in her vagina. The woman said she recognised the man's voice as Hayne's.
She woke naked and in a pool of blood the next day, the documents state.
Rugby league player Jarryd Hayne speaks to the media at the Pullman Hotel about the Auckland NRL Nines tournament in 2016. Photo / Jason Oxenham
The woman, whose identity is suppressed, was a devout Christian who claimed to have been saving her virginity for marriage.
Her lawsuit claimed she and Hayne exchanged messages on Instagram with the woman asking what had happened to her, and the running back saying they had "hooked up".
The court documents stated she experienced vaginal pain for several months after the alleged rape.
After months of anxiety, she reported the incident to San Jose police in May 2016, however, the district attorney ruled there was not enough evidence to prove her allegations.
Hayne had returned to Australia to restart his NRL career by the time the civil case was launched.
He shocked fans when revealing his decision to leave rugby league in 2014 to pursue a lifelong dream of playing in the NFL.
His tearful announcement came shortly after he had been named as the joint best player in the NRL, sharing that year's Dally M medal with Johnathan Thurston.
Hayne was drafted to the 49ers and made eight NFL appearances during one season, but announced his retirement from the sport in May 2016 after being dropped from the franchise's 53-man roster.
He then played for Fiji's Rugby Sevens team before joining the Gold Coast Titans in 2016 and made an emotional return to Parramatta two years later.
In November 2018, he was charged with sexually assaulting a woman, then 26, on the night of that year's grand final at a home on the outskirts of Newcastle.
Following a seven-day trial before the Downing Centre District Court, Hayne was this week found guilty of two counts of sexual assault.
The recently married Hayne had pleaded not guilty and claimed the sexual interaction was consensual.
He was found not guilty of the more serious charge of aggravated sexual assault while recklessly inflicting actual bodily harm.
The former cross-code football star faces the possibility of serious jail time and will be sentenced on May 6.
Where to get help:
• If it's an emergency and you feel that you or someone else is at risk, call 111. • If you've ever experienced sexual assault or abuse and need to talk to someone call the confidential crisis helpline Safe to Talk on: 0800 044 334 or text 4334. (available 24/7) • Male Survivors Aotearoa offers a range of confidential support at centres across New Zealand - find your closest one here. • Mosaic - Tiaki Tangata: 0800 94 22 94 (available 11am - 8pm) • Alternatively contact your local police station • If you have been abused, remember it's not your fault.
