Australian rugby

Kurtley Beale is determined to return to his best form © Getty Images

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Wallabies playmaker Kurtley Beale has re-signed with the Australian Rugby Union (ARU) and will return to his original Super Rugby club, the New South Wales Waratahs, committing until the end of 2014.

The announcement means Beale is the 18th player to re-sign with the ARU in 2013, as he looks to return to peak form following a shoulder reconstruction last month. Beale said he was pleased to be returning home to Sydney and is excited for the future.

"I feel at home in Sydney, it's where my family is," Beale said. "I'm really looking forward to playing some good, consistent rugby. I've made the decision to get my shoulder right and I hope next year will be a big one for me. I'm excited by the Rugby World Cup on the horizon and I'm just looking forward to getting back to playing really good rugby, having a big year for the Waratahs and hopefully getting selected for the Wallabies."

Beale is currently undergoing rehabilitation after having a shoulder reconstruction at the conclusion of the British & Irish Lions tour to Australia and will not be available for the Wallabies again in 2013. Most notably a fullback, Beale has also been called upon to play fly-half during his five years with the Wallabies, but it is his injection of pace and his x-factor that may prove valuable for the Ewen McKenzie-led Wallabies.

"It's really good news for Australian rugby and great news for the Waratahs, he's a high quality player," McKenzie said. "Given the Waratahs brand of football, he'll really add to the mix there. I'm looking forward to having him back playing his best footy, that's obviously a good thing for the Wallabies."

Beale is making the most of his time off the field and is currently working as a Lloyd McDermott Rugby Development Team ambassador.

"I'm in Cairns today and then flying to the Gold Coast for and Indigenous Under-16s tournament this Sunday," Beale said. "Mentoring the kids and talking to them, sharing my experience, is something I love doing. I get a lot out of it too, it teaches me about myself as well."

Since making his debut for the Wallabies against Wales in Cardiff in 2009, Beale has been capped 39 times, with highlights including five appearances at Rugby World Cup 2011 and a role in all three Tests against the British & Irish Lions in June this year.