Jack de Belin


Jack de Belin is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who has played in the 2010s. He played for the St. George Illawarra Dragons in the National Rugby League, as a or.
De Belin has played for Country NSW and New South Wales in the 2018 State of Origin series.

Background

De Belin was born in Cootamundra, New South Wales, Australia.

Early career

De Belin played part of his junior football career with St Gregory's College, Campbelltown and the Cootamundra Bulldogs in Group 9. He was then signed by St George Illawarra and competed in the 2011 National Youth Competition where he made it into the team of the year squad.

First grade career

De Belin made his first grade debut for St George Illawarra on 27 June 2011 against Manly and played three first grade matches that year. In 2014, De Belin signed a year extension deal with St George Illawarra which would see him play with the club until the end of 2017. He went on to make 21 appearances for St George Illawarra in the 2014 season.
In 2015, de Belin was in the St George Illawarra side which made the finals but were eliminated by Canterbury-Bankstown in the first week. He made twenty two appearances for the season and was a regular in the lineup. 2016 saw de Belin make his representative debut when chosen to represent New South Wales Country in the annual City vs Country game. That year he again featured regularly in the Dragons' first grade line-up and made twenty-one appearances for the season.
In 2017, de Belin was again chosen to represent New South Wales Country in what would be the final City vs Country match. In May 2017, de Belin was named in an extended New South Wales side to take on Queensland in Game 1 of the 2017 State of Origin series. Also in 2017, de Belin signed another three-year extension deal to stay at St George Illawarra until 2020.
2018 was a stellar season for de Belin. He was selected to play for New South Wales in the 2018 State of Origin series, played in all games of the series and was a key part of the Blues' 2-1 series victory.
De Belin did not compete in the NRL in 2019 due to pending sexual assault charges.

Sporting pedigree

De Belin's grandfather Fred de Belin had a Sydney first grade career with the Balmain Tigers that was interrupted by four years of WWII active service in Europe with the RAAF as bomber. He toured with the Kangaroos of 1948-49 and played eight Tests for Australia from 1948–50.
Jack's uncle Alan de Belin was a state and national representative lightweight rower from the Haberfield Rowing Club in Sydney. In 1977 in the Australian lightweight eight he won a bronze medal at the 1977 World Rowing Championships in Amsterdam.

Sexual assault allegations

On 13 December 2018, de Belin was charged by police with aggravated sexual assault following an encounter with a woman in Wollongong. The incident reportedly happened after the woman had left a nightclub with a group of men including de Belin. The woman was under the impression the group would head to another nightclub but ended up at an apartment block where it is claimed de Belin and de Belin's friend stripped naked and sexually assaulted her.
On 28 February 2019, de Belin was stood down by St George Illawarra under the NRL's new 'no fault stand down policy', which allows players to train but not play until the completion of investigations in which players are charged with any serious criminal offence that has a maximum jail term of 11 years or more.
On 17 May 2019, de Belin lost his federal court bid to be reinstated by the NRL. On 28 May 2019, de Belin was charged with two further counts of sexual assault.
On 24 July 2019, De Belin was committed to stand trial over allegations of sexual assault. De Belin faces charges of five counts of rape.
On 13 February 2020, it was announced that De Belin's trial would be delayed until April 8 2020 after a significant witness in the case had fallen ill and was unable to attend court.