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High-profile rugby union player Kurtley Beale has denied sexually assaulting a woman in Sydney’s eastern suburbs last year after he was charged over the alleged incident.
The 34-year-old Wallabies winger was ordered on Saturday to surrender his passport, not contact witnesses and to report to police daily after he was granted bail in Parramatta local court.
Beale was arrested on Friday and held in custody over an alleged incident in Sydney’s east on 17 December last year.
He faces four charges, including sexual intercourse without consent, inciting another to sexually touch without consent and two counts of sexually touching another person without consent.
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The Australia international has been suspended from all rugby with immediate effect.
The charges came after police received a report that a 28-year-old woman was sexually assaulted at a licensed premises on Beach Road, Bondi Beach.
Speaking outside court, Beale’s lawyer, Paul McGirr, told reporters Beale would be pleading not guilty and he strongly denied the allegations.
The Australia international footballer was supported in court by his wife, Maddi.
Beale was arrested in a vehicle stop in Kingsford just before 2.30pm on Friday before being taken to Waverley police station for questioning.
In a statement, Rugby Australia said Beale had been suspended pending the conclusion of the legal proceedings.
“This step follows Mr Beale’s arrest and subsequent charge with serious criminal offences, and is in line with Rugby Australia’s professional player code of conduct,” it said.
Beale, who has played 95 times for his country, took part in a 44-man Wallabies training camp on the Gold Coast last week.
He recently returned to Australia ahead of the Super Rugby season for the NSW Waratahs after several years playing in France.
Beale, who is from NSW, has spent most of his more than decade-long career with the Waratahs, aside from a brief spell with the Melbourne Rebels.
He is due back in court in March.
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