'Bad image': Beale addresses leaked videos ahead of season debut
Kurtley Beale says his full focus is on the season ahead after two videos emerged last month of the star playmaker in the presence of a white powder.
The Waratahs and Wallabies representative was forced to apologise to Rugby Australia chief executive Raelene Castle twice in as many days after two leaked videos appeared online of Beale in compromising situations.
The first showed Beale with NRL player Corey Norman, the latter of whom encouraged an elderly man to snort a line of white powder.
The second was of Beale playing a vacuum cleaner in the manner of a didgeridoo before a plate containing lines of white powder was seen in the footage.
Speaking for the first time about the incidents, Beale - who was rested from last week's loss to the Hurricanes - said his mindset was “pretty clear at the moment” ahead of his first match of the season with the Waratahs against the Sunwolves on the weekend.
“Obviously that was a matter that was dealt with by Rugby Australia and Raelene [Castle],” Beale told reporters. "I’ve spoken to them and I apologised at the time and now my full focus is on the Waratahs and adding my bit to hopefully a successful campaign.
“There is a lot of rugby to be played and I think it’s important that now the priority is the Waratahs and to make sure that I’m doing every little bit to make sure that we are successful this year.”
Beale said it was important that he went out of his way to apologise to RA when the videos emerged and conceded it was not a great look for the code.
“The videos were firstly five or six years ago and I understand that it may have caused a bit of a bad image to the game," Beale said. "I understand that, so it’s always important to do that type of stuff [apologise] and understand the responsibilities in the game as a player.”
Beale met with RA’s integrity unit as well as an NRL integrity unit to give his version of events.
Meanwhile, Beale will start at No.12 for the Waratahs on Saturday, with new recruit Karmichael Hunt set to move to No.13 to fill a void left by Adam Ashley-Cooper, who will miss the fixture in Tokyo.
“I’m very excited,” Beale said. “It was a bit tough watching the lads play on the weekend. Pretty keen to get back into it.”