Rugby-Beale stung by knee injury a day after agreeing Wasps deal

May 14 (Reuters) - Australia utility back Kurtley Beale suffered a serious knee injury in New South Wales Waratahs' 31-8 Super Rugby victory over the Bulls on Saturday, less than a day after agreeing a lucrative deal to join English side Wasps. Wasps announced on Friday that he was joining the Coventry-based club and British media reported that the 27-year-old would become the highest-paid player in England on a two-year contract worth 1.5 million pounds ($2.16 million). However, Beale's hopes of ending his Waratahs career with a Super Rugby title suffered a major blow seconds into Saturday's match in Sydney when he landed awkwardly attempting to catch a high ball and was carried off on a stretcher. Waratahs coach Daryl Gibson told reporters: "Kurtley has suffered a significant injury to his patella tendon. Transported to hospital. Until he has scans we won't know more." Gibson added that he did not expect Beale to return to action in the current Super Rugby season, with a minimum recovery period of six to eight weeks expected and a lot longer if the injury was more severe and he needed surgery. Beale is likely to be ruled out of Australia's three-test home series against Six Nations champions England next month, and possibly the start of the 2016-17 English Premiership campaign that kicks off in early September. ($1 = 0.6960 pounds) (Writing by John O'Brien in Singapore; editing by Ken Ferris)