Beale signs contract extension with ARU

Rising star Kurtley Beale has signed a new one-year contract with the Australian Rugby Union, keeping him at the NSW Waratahs until the end of 2009.

The 19-year-old five-eighth received offers from NRL clubs but decided his future lay with rugby union for the time being.

"I'm really happy to have this behind me before the season kicks off," Beale said.

"I still have a lot more to achieve in rugby and I'm backing myself over the next two seasons to be in a position to make that step."

The Waratahs' Super 14 campaign kicks off against the Hurricanes on Saturday night at the Sydney Football Stadium.

© 2008 AAP
February 13, 2008

It's funny he signed such a short term contract...holding out to do a Tuqiri in 2009?

it could be either him or it could be the ARU.

the ARU might have said they arent willing to give him such a big contract until he has proven himself as a wallaby and waratah.

Or, it could be Kurtley being smart, he probably knows that his value is only going to improve the more he plays so he might be waiting out for a bigger one.

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Originally Posted by Bread

It's funny he signed such a short term contract...holding out to do a Tuqiri in 2009?

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I'm inclined to think the same. Either that or he's hedging that his stocks will go up significantly to command a decent wage.

Anyone have a list of all ARU contracted players? It'd be interesting to see from which clubs the inexperienced (or uncapped) players are from.

They've been all over him since he could walk, if they could sign him for ten years they would have.
He obviously is still keeping mungo an option and in that respect he has himself some pretty good advice from his management team.
If he isn't worth the big dollars post '09 to the ARU then every NRL and Super League team would be wetting themselves trying to sign him up.