Former Australia Rugby Captain Rocky Elsom Sentenced to Two Years in Jail

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Former Australia rugby union captain Rocky Elsom was handed a two-year prison sentence by a French court on Friday after being found guilty of misusing corporate funds.

The 42-year-old was also fined 100,000 euros (AU$172,000) – half of which was suspended – and ordered to pay 240,000 euros (AU$414,000) compensation to the liquidator of the Narbonne rugby club where he was president between 2015 and 2016.

Former flanker Elsom, capped 75 times by the Wallabies, was convicted in his absence but was made the subject of an international arrest warrant.

Elsom’s lawyer Yann Le Bras said that he would appeal the sentence.

“I have submitted to the court both serious procedural issues and evidence that would allow Rocky Elsom to be acquitted,” he told AFP.

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Prosecutors had demanded a three-year prison sentence and a 630,000-euro fine after facing trial for the second time.

He had initially been handed a five-year sentence last year but was retried on appeal.

French champions in 1936 and 1979, Narbonne were placed in receivership and relegated in 2018, after years of financial difficulties.

“He was found guilty of squandering the club’s funds and ordered to pay a substantial sum in compensation for his losses,” Patrick Tabet, the club’s liquidation lawyer, told AFP.

Elsom told Australian media last year that he had been “scapegoated” for mismanagement of the club after he left, claiming Narbonne were successful on and off the field during his tenure.

The 75-time Wallaby also heavily criticised the court process, in particular the failure to allow him to provide evidence on his behalf and defend the charges.

“Not allowing me to defend the charges is a clear perversion of justice,” he said in the statement to the Sydney Morning Herald last year.

“I have a little more information on the evidence that was presented.”

Elsom called on the public to “consider the legitimacy of any process that does not allow for the involvement of the person being prosecuted.”

“I have not been questioned in this matter and the lengthy process seems to have deliberately excluded me from giving evidence,” he continued.

Rocky Elsom of the Wallabies. Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images

Speaking from an undisclosed location last year, Elsom told the Straight Talk with Mark Bouris podcast he maintained his innocence.

“I did nothing wrong, there are no victims,” Elsom said.

“I have already been convicted (in absentia) but at no stage was I given the opportunity to defend myself.”