'Justice will be served': Former NRL star Jarryd Hayne says his rape charges have been 'very hard' for his family - but insists he is innocent
- Jarryd Hayne, 31, vowed 'justice will be served' as he left court on Thursday
- Former NRL star will stand trial next year accused of raping a woman
- Hayne formally pleaded not guilty to two charges of aggravated sexual assault
Former rugby league star Jarryd Hayne, who will stand trial next year on charges of raping a woman in NSW's Hunter Valley, has vowed 'justice will be served'.
Hayne, 31, appeared in Newcastle District Court on Thursday after travelling from Perth where he's spent the past three weeks attending courses at an evangelical Christian centre.
Hayne formally pleaded not guilty to two charges of aggravated sexual assault and was ordered to stand trial in early May 2020.
Former NRL star Jarryd Hayne will face trial early next year on two counts of aggravated sexual assault
The two-time Dally M medallist returned to Newcastle for the court hearing, having recently relocated to Perth as part of six-month course at a religious college
The trial is estimated to take between five to seven days.
Outside court, Hayne told reporters: 'I want to make it very clear, I'm innocent of these charges.'
'It's been a very hard time for my family but ... justice will be served,' he said.
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Judge Roy Ellis on Thursday agreed to vary Hayne's bail so that instead of reporting three times a week to East Perth police station he'll report once a week on Thursdays.
The judge also excused Hayne from attending court again until a final review of the case on April 30 before the trial.
Hayne in early July successfully had his bail changed so he could travel to Perth to attend a six-month missionary course at the Youth With a Mission centre.
Hayne appeared in the Newcastle District Court today and formally pleaded not guilty
The 31-year-old has been charged with two counts of aggravated sexual assault inflicting actual bodily harm in relation to the alleged rape of a woman in the Hunter Region last September
The court heard Hayne would be living in a dormitory-style accommodation near the centre's training campus with other men.
Hayne has been required to attend lectures, not drink alcohol and report three times a week to a nearby police station.
He's accused of sexually assaulting a 26-year-old woman on September 30, 2018, between 8pm and 10pm in Newcastle.
Court documents state Hayne had sex with the woman without her consent and 'recklessly inflicted actual bodily harm'.
The aggravated rape charges each carry a maximum 20-year jail term if Hayne is convicted.
It has been alleged that Hayne had sex with the 26-year-old without her consent and bit her on the genitals so hard she bled
Hayne wore a dark blue suit as he presented in the Newcastle District Court on Thursday
