He is of Aboriginal descent,[2] has had a long Super Rugby career with the New South Wales Waratahs and has played for the Melbourne Rebels and the Wasps club in England.

[7] In 2006 Beale captained both the Joey's first XV and the Australian Schoolboys side,[7] and regularly attended training sessions with the NSW Waratahs from the age of 15.

Beale first played senior rugby at the Northern Suburbs club alongside then-Waratahs teammates Al Baxter and Sam Norton-Knight.

[10] In June 2013, Beale was named to play for Randwick while on leave from the Melbourne Rebels following a spell in rehabilitation for alcohol related issues.

Coach Ewen McKenzie had stated that Beale would not be rushed into the starting line up and would instead play second fiddle in his debut year behind Daniel Halangahu.

Beale's combination with Israel Folau at fullback, Adam Ashley-Cooper at outside centre and Bernard Foley at fly-half was instrumental to the team's success.

Playing in the final against the Crusaders, he set up the 2 tries to Adam Ashley-Cooper which helped guide the Waratahs to a 33–32 win over the 7-time champions, securing the Super Rugby title.

In February 2022, it was confirmed by Rugby Australia that Beale would return to the New South Wales Waratahs at the conclusion of his stay in Paris with Racing 92 in the 2021–22 Top 14 season.

[26] While on tour in South Africa during the 2013 Super Rugby season, Beale punched captain Gareth Delve on a team bus after a match.

[33] In May 2016, Beale, agreed to join English club Wasps RFC on a one-year contract with the option for a 12-month extension,[3] for a reported £750,000 per season.

[35] He made his Wasps debut in the European Champions Cup in a game against Connacht, scoring a try and receiving a yellow card in the first half.

Beale joined the Top 14 rugby team, Racing 92 from the Waratahs on a two-year deal, starting from the 2020–21 season onwards.

In round one of the 2021–22 European Rugby Champions Cup (10 December 2021) against Northampton Saints, Beale made a quick, darting line-break and off-load, leading to a try in the eighth minute of the first half.

After being on the sideline since returning back home to Australia for 2023, Beale signed for the Perth-based Super Rugby team the Western Force in April 2024 on an injury replacement deal, until the end of the 2024 season.

Much of the speculation around Beale's future, following his court battles (2023/24), was centred around a possible code-switch to the National Rugby League (NRL).

Soon after, Beale narrowly missed out on being chosen for the Rugby World Cup in 2007, with the selectors opting instead for Berrick Barnes as the backup flyhalf for the Wallabies squad coached by John Connolly.

[citation needed] Beale made his test debut on the 2009 Spring Tour to the Home Nations when he appeared on the wing as a substitute in Australia's 34–12 victory over Wales.

[citation needed] He was named as part of the Australian squad for the 2011 Rugby World Cup, and was favoured as the starting fullback when fit to play.

Beale also played fly-half in the 18-all draw against the All Blacks in the third Bledisloe Cup Test in Brisbane, kicking two penalty goals successfully.

[47] Following a period in rehabilitation due to personal and alcohol-related issues in 2013, Beale was selected to play for Australia against the British & Irish Lions.

[11] Shortly before full-time in the first test, Beale slipped (and missed) while attempting to kick a penalty that would have won the game for the Wallabies.

Following 12–all draw and a 20–51 loss to the All Blacks, Beale was benched for the remainder of the Rugby Championship, with Waratahs team-mate Foley taking over the Wallabies No.

[53] Australia then lost the Bledisloe Cup to the All Blacks for a 16th consecutive year, with huge defeats in Sydney, Auckland and Oita respectively.

[65] Beale has also stated that his return to Australian rugby was partly motivated by the desire to become a role model for indigenous children.

After the team returned to Australia, it was reported that Beale had distributed allegedly offensive texts and images referring to Patston some months earlier,[74] before the first test against France in June.

From the outcome of the independent tribunal, Beale admitted to sending an offensive photo and was fined $45,000 for a serious violation of the ARU Code of Conduct.

[83] Beale's entire fine went to the Lloyd McDermott Development Team, Australian rugby's indigenous talent unit.

[86] Beale was taken to a police station in Waverley for questioning over an alleged incident he was involved in with a 28-year-old woman that took place on 17 December 2022 at the Beach Road Hotel[87][88] in Sydney's Eastern Suburb of Bondi.

"[91] On 21 January Beale denied the charges and was granted bail, however he was ordered to surrender his passport, not contact witnesses and to report to police daily.

[84] Beale, hand-in-hand with wife Maddi, told reporters outside of court that “I’ve always maintained my innocence...My family and I have suffered a terrible year, and I’m so glad that the truth has come out”.