Footy star Jack de Belin WILL face trial on rape charges after marathon legal challenge fails - and he could face life in jail if found guilty
NRL star Jack de Belin will face trial later this year on rape charges after his legal challenge failed.
De Belin and his co-accused Callan Sinclair have pleaded not guilty to the aggravated sexual assault of a 19-year-old woman inside a Wollongong apartment, south of Sydney, in December 2018.
The St George Illawarra and former NSW State of Origin lock will face trial from November 2.
Jack de Belin and his co-accused Callan Sinclair have pleaded not guilty to the aggravated sexual assault of a 19-year-old woman inside a Wollongong apartment in December 2018
De Belin has been been sidelined for the past 18 months under the NRL's 'no fault' stand down rule.
The hardline policy was introduced as a reaction to the game's 2018-19 'summer from hell' which included a slew of players being charged with criminal offences and resulted in a stream of damaging headlines for the game.
De Belin is on a $595,000-a-year deal with the Dragons but is off-contract at the end of 2020.
The 29-year-old has played 154 games for the Dragons since his debut in 2011.
The 12-person jury trial will be held at Wollongong District Court.
St George Illawarra Dragons rugby league player Jack de Belin leaves Wollongong Local Court in July 2019