- French rugby club found guilty of misusing corporate assets
- Sentenced to five years in prison in absentia
- He had previously been ordered to repay $1.1 million.
An international arrest warrant has been issued for former Wallabies skipper Rocky Elsom, who has been sentenced by a French court.
Elsom was sentenced in absentia to five years in prison for misusing corporate assets during his tenure as president of French rugby club Narbonne, according to lawyer Patrick Tabet.
The charges relate to Elsom’s work at Narbonne from 2015 to 2016, where he was accused of forgery and ordered to repay €705,000 (AUD 1.1 million).
Allegations include paying a former coach €79,000 ($128,000 AUD) without justification and hiring an Australian for €7,200 ($11,500 AUD) per month who did not provide services to the club.
The court sentenced Elsom to a sentence exceeding the two years in prison requested by the prosecution.
An international warrant has been issued for former Australian Wallabies skipper Rocky Elsom.
Elsom was found guilty by a French court of misappropriating corporate assets and sentenced to five years in prison.
Narbonne, which enjoyed historic championship success in 1936 and 1979, faced financial difficulties and went into liquidation in 2018.
The club was taken over by Australian investment fund FGM in 2011 and involved figures such as Bob Dwyer and David Gibson, although neither man was implicated in the incident.
Mr Eltham, FGM’s majority shareholder, previously told SBS: “We had to cut costs on 17 contracts.” I wasn’t the most popular guy in town at the time.’
Elsom recently reappeared in Ireland, giving an interview to The Sunday Times while coaching at Catholic University School in Dublin.
“I’m recovering from an injury and this is a great place to recover,” he said at the time.
The former Wallabies skipper played 75 Test matches for the Wallabies, 22 as captain.
Mr Elsom left the construction business in Queensland saying ‘there are very good people there’. I’m happy about that because they don’t need me now.’
In the same interview, Elsom mentioned that he does not inform his former Leinster teammates of his presence in Dublin.
However, he was due to attend the Leinster v Munster match at Croke Park as a guest.
Elsom’s time with Leinster was memorable and saw them win their first Heineken Cup title in 2009. Elsom was named player of the match in the final against Leicester Tigers.
Elsom’s rugby career includes 75 Test matches for the Wallabies and 22 as captain.
He started out in rugby league with the Canterbury Bulldogs before switching to the Union, playing for the Waratahs and Brumbies and achieving success in Leinster.
Former Waratahs coach Matt Williams, who worked with Narbonne, expressed disappointment at the club’s decline.
‘Rugby, it’s a whole community. This little provincial town is a rugby town.’ he said
‘In the 60s, 70s and 80s, France was a powerhouse of rugby… I’m glad, I’m really happy, that justice has been served.
‘It devastated the community and broke their hearts. Some of the older people who gave their lives to the club… have seen outsiders come in and tear it apart.’
