Former Fiji Bati player, Jarryd Hayne has pleaded not guilty to charges that he raped a woman last year.
Hayne is accused of attacking a 26‑year‑old woman in Newcastle, last September.
He was arrested in December and was charged with aggravated sexual assault and inflicting actual bodily harm, an offence which carries a maximum 20‑year jail penalty.
Hayne formally entered his plea at a court hearing yesterday and will remain on bail until a trial begins in May next year.
Hayne told reporters outside the court that it has been a very hard time for his family but justice will be served.
Police began investigating his case after hearing an allegations that a woman had been assaulted by a man she met on social media.
Hayne has played 11 Tests for Australia and has twice won the National Rugby League's Player of the Year award and in 2015, he briefly switched to American football with the San Francisco 49ers, before returning to Australia the following year.
BBCsports.
