Former Australian rugby captain Rocky Elsom found guilty of financial crimes

On By Yukito

Priscilla Rotich

An international arrest warrant has been issued for former Australian rugby star Rocky Elsom after he was convicted in France of embezzlement.

A French court has found the former Australia captain guilty of forgery and misuse of company assets during his tenure as president of French rugby club Narbonne in 2015-16.

French media reports indicate that the former Wallabies flanker was sentenced in absentia to five years in prison.

Elsom, 41, was ordered to repay £586,000 of misappropriated funds which he had unlawfully misappropriated before leaving Narbonne. It is alleged that he paid a sum of £66,000 to his former coach without good cause.

The Irish sports star, 41, rose to fame playing for Leinster Rugby in the late 2000s, contributing to the team’s winning campaign in the prestigious Heineken Cup in 2009.

Additionally, there are reports that Elsom employed an Australian individual for a monthly fee of £6,000, despite no evidence that the individual provided services to Narbonne.

Following the takeover of Narbonne by Australian investment fund FGM in 2011, Elsom emerged as a major stakeholder and briefly represented the club towards the end of his career in 2014.

Unfortunately, the once successful French team, winners of the French title in 1936 and 1979, faced financial turmoil and were ultimately liquidated in 2018.

In previous media reports, reporter Jérôme Prevot from Midi Olympique explained his encounter with Elsom. “We have never seen such a mysterious president. His media reports were as rare as those of the Queen of England,” Prevot said.

“He seemed to particularly enjoy isolating the city club from its fans, elected officials, partners and all media. He showed up at the last minute just before the matches, pretending he didn’t speak French,” he said.

Originally from Melbourne, Elsom began his sporting career in rugby league with the Canterbury Bulldogs before switching to rugby union.

Over the years from 2005 to 2011, he represented Australia 75 times, showcasing his skills on the international stage.

Not only did Elsom score 70 points for the team, but he also played a significant role in the 2011 World Cup and captained the Wallabies on 22 occasions.