News | Rugby
17 Mar 2025 1:36
NZCity News
NZCity CalculatorReturn to NZCity

  • Start Page
  • Personalise
  • News
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • Shopping
  • Jobs
  • Horoscopes
  • Lotto Results
  • Photo Gallery
  • Site Gallery
  • TVNow
  • Dating
  • SearchNZ
  • NZSearch
  • Crime.co.nz
  • RugbyLeague
  • Make Home
  • About NZCity
  • Contact NZCity
  • Your Privacy
  • Advertising
  • Login
  • Join for Free

  •   Home > News > Sports > Rugby

    Ex-Australian rugby captain Rocky Elsom handed two-year jail term in France for misusing corporate assets

    French authorities had issued an arrest warrant for Rocky Elsom, who faces two years in prison for his conduct while president of a French rugby club.

    15 March 2025

    Former Australia rugby captain Rocky Elsom has been handed a two-year jail sentence in France after misusing corporate funds during his time as club president of Narbonne.

    French authorities have been forced to issue a warrant for his arrest after the 42-year-old did not show up in court on Friday, local time.

    He was also fined 100,000 euros ($172, 200) with half the sum suspended. 

    Elsom was president of southern French club Narbonne from 2015-16.

    He went on trial for embezzling club funds by making unjustified expenditures to pay a coach or a general manager who was living in Australia at the time.

    He was acquitted on charges of forgery and use of forgery but was ordered to pay 230,000 euros in compensation to the club's liquidator.

    His lawyer Yann Le Bras appealed.

    During a trial last month, the prosecutor requested a three-year prison sentence and a fine of 630,000 euros.

    Elsom's lawyer had pleaded for an acquittal.

    In a previous trial in October last year, Elsom was sentenced to five years in prison but did not attend the hearing.

    He has been the subject of an international arrest warrant since that conviction.

    As allowed by French law, Elsom requested to be retried with legal representation, but he did not appear in court last month.

    French authorities said that his whereabouts were unknown before issuing the warrant. 

    Elsom denies knowledge of trial

    Elsom played 75 times for Australia from 2005-11.

    He was named man of the match when he won the 2009 European Cup with Dublin-based Irish club Leinster alongside Ireland greats Johnny Sexton and Brian O'Driscoll.

    He had been living in Ireland since August 2024 and fled the country after an international arrest warrant was issued against him.

    He denied any wrongdoing and said that under his leadership Narbonne was in a healthy position.

    "(Narbonne) achieved solid profits, had good sporting results, and remained in Pro D2 (the second tier of French rugby) until 2016 and beyond," he said in a statement in October last year.

    "It seems that I have been targeted as a scapegoat for the future mismanagement of this famous rugby club."

    Narbonne won the French Championship twice in 1936 and 1979 and finished runner-up three times. The club went into liquidation in 2018 and now competes in the third-tier Fédérale league.

    Elsom had been working as a coach at a school in Dublin around the time of his arrest warrant.

    He said in an interview four months ago on YouTube that he left immediately with only a single backpack when he found out that Ireland was legally obliged to extradite him to France.

    When he gave the interview to Mark Bouris from a hidden location, he said he had not been informed there was a public trial in October.

    "This is a really important part of it. I didn't know a court case was on and there was no possible way for me to know," he said.

    AP/ABC

    © 2025 ABC, NZCity


     Other Rugby News
     16 Mar: Macca Springer might have his work cut out for him at Crusaders training on Monday, despite scoring a record-equalling five tries in their Super Rugby win over the Force in Christchurch
     16 Mar: England's Six Nations title hopes remain alive after running in ten tries for a record 68-14 victory over Wales in the final round in Cardiff
     16 Mar: The Blues have slumped to their fourth defeat of the Super Rugby Pacific season, going down 32-31 to the Chiefs in Hamilton
     15 Mar: Liam Lawson's Formula One team Red Bull Racing have put in the hard yards in the garage and have got his car ready for this evening's qualifying session at the Australian Grand Prix
     15 Mar: The Blues have been forced into a late reshuffle for tonight's crucial Super Rugby Pacific clash against the Chiefs
     15 Mar: The Blues have promised to attack for the full 80 minutes against the Chiefs in Hamilton tonight
     15 Mar: Late agony for the Highlanders after a 20-to-18 loss to the Hurricanes in Dunedin
     Top Stories

    RUGBY RUGBY
    Macca Springer might have his work cut out for him at Crusaders training on Monday, despite scoring a record-equalling five tries in their Super Rugby win over the Force in Christchurch More...


    BUSINESS BUSINESS
    New Zealand's beef industry is confident of its necessity in the United States, despite the likelihood of tariffs from the Trump administration More...



     Today's News

    International:
    United States launches air strikes on Yemen's rebel-occupied capital over Houthis' Red Sea attacks 22:27

    Environment:
    MetService is warning of heavy rain and severe northwest gales for parts of southern and central New Zealand tomorrow and Tuesday 21:57

    Law and Order:
    Police are trying to find a group of people they say assaulted a worker and took items from premises in Auckland's New Lynn 21:17

    International:
    SpaceX Crew-10 mission docks with the International Space Station to relieve stranded astronauts 19:47

    Soccer:
    The Wellington Phoenix are desperate to get a win as they face Giancarlo Italiano's friend and current Sydney FC manager Ufuk Talay  18:57

    Soccer:
    A Brazilian football star's in the way of the Wellington Phoenix at Sydney FC tonight in the A-League 18:37

    Motorsports:
    Kiwi Liam Lawson is 15th after the halfway mark of the season opening Formula 1 Grand Prix in Melbourne 18:07

    Auckland:
    A person has been killed and another critically injured by a driver allegedly fleeing police in Auckland 17:27

    Cricket:
    The Black Caps have made light work of a small target in the opening T20 against Pakistan in Christchurch 17:27

    Cricket:
    The Black Caps have raced to a 1-nil lead over Pakistan in their five-match T20 series with a commanding nine-wicket win in Christchurch 17:27


     News Search






    Power Search


    © 2025 New Zealand City Ltd