95-cap Wallaby Kurtley Beale could yet feature in his second British & Irish Lions Series after taking up a lifeline from the Western Force in 2025.
The 36-year-old was seriously considered for a Test recall in 2024 following a seven-game injury cover stint with the Perth club last year and earned a place in Joe Schmidt's 38-man squad for the July Series before rupturing his Achilles tendon in a Shute Shield fixture.
The seriousness and nature of the injury combined with Beale's age profile led many to close the door on a potential Wallabies return, however, rugby.com.au can now reveal another twist in the tale.
Beale has already taken taken up another opportunity with the Western Force, , re-locating to Perth with his family over the Christmas break with an aim of pulling on the Force jersey once more during the 2025 Super Rugby Pacific season.
While no timeline has yet been provided on Beale's return to play, the utility back has already joined the squad for pre-season training - albeit on an individual training program.
“I’m really grateful for the opportunity the Force have offered myself and my family to continue on in my rugby career," Beale said in a statement released Friday morning.
“We loved our time at the Force last year and I feel I’ll be able to achieve my goals being back in a high-performance environment and highly motivated organisation.
“I’m motivated to be back playing rugby for the Force and helping them push towards a finals series. On a personal level, I want to return in the best possible shape to have the biggest impact on the team.
“Being in Perth is the perfect environment for me right now, allowing me to focus on my work within a strong high-performance program with great staff who’ll push me to get the best results to return as quickly as possible.
“There’s still work to do and we’ll take it on a week-to-week basis but I’m confident with the support of the medical team, coaches and players I’ll be able to see positive results.”
The prospect of Beale donning the fullback jersey once more will be music to Force fans' ears after the veteran's slick combination with Ben Donaldson drew success across seven games in 2024.
But the real question is whether Beale can rehabilitate in time for a fairytale rematch with the British and Irish Lions.
As a 24-year-old, Beale found himself front and centre during the 2013 Series with his 80th minute slip whilst attempting a penalty goal to win the First Test now rugby folklore.
Perhaps, just maybe, after 150+ Super Rugby caps, three Rugby World Cups and that heartbreaking 2013 Lions Series, there's another chapter to write in Kurtley Beale's story.
