International warrant issued for former Wallabies captain Rocky Elsom after being sentenced to jail in France

An international arrest warrant has been issued for former Wallabies captain Rocky Elsom following his sentencing by a French court. 

Elsom was sentenced in absentia to five years in prison for misuse of corporate assets during his tenure as president of French rugby club Narbonne, according to lawyer Patrick Tabet. 

The charges relate to Elsom’s time at Narbonne between 2015 and 2016, where he was accused of forgery and ordered to repay €705,000 [$1.1million AUD]. 

Allegations include paying €79,000 [$128,000 AUD] to a former coach without justification and hiring someone from Australia for €7,200 [$11,500 AUD] a month who did not provide services to the club.

The court handed Elsom a sentence exceeding the prosecutor’s request of two years. 

Elsom was found guilty of misuse of corporate assets and sentenced in his absence to five years in prison by a French court

Narbonne, historically successful with championships in 1936 and 1979, faced financial difficulties and was placed in liquidation in 2018. 

The club was acquired by the Australian investment fund FGM in 2011, involving figures like Bob Dwyer and David Gibson, neither of whom is implicated in the case. 

Elsom, a major FGM shareholder, previously told SBS, ‘We needed to make savings on 17 contracts. I was not the most popular person in town at that time.’

Recently, Elsom resurfaced 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 good place to be for it,’ he said at the time.

The former Wallabies skipper played 75 Test matches for the Wallabies, 22 as captain

Elsom left his construction business in Queensland, saying, ‘I’ve got people there who are very good. They don’t need me at the moment so I’m happy about that.’

In the same interview, Elsom mentioned not informing his former Leinster teammates of his presence in Dublin. 

However, he was set to attend a Leinster versus Munster game at Croke Park as a guest. 

Elsom’s stint with Leinster was memorable, leading them to 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, 22 as captain. 

He began in rugby league with the Canterbury Bulldogs before transitioning to union, playing for the Waratahs and Brumbies, and achieving success with Leinster. 

Former Waratahs coach Matt Williams, who also worked with Narbonne, expressed disappointment over the club’s decline.

‘Rugby there, it’s the whole community; these little provincial towns are rugby towns.’ he said.

‘In the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s, these were the powerhouses of French rugby … I’m delighted justice is going to be done, absolutely delighted.

‘It’s broken the community, broke their hearts. Some of these old guys there that gave their life to the club… they saw outsiders come in and rip their club apart.’