Henri Astier
BBC News
An international arrest warrant has been issued for Rocky Elsom, the former captain of the Australian national rugby team, following his conviction for embezzlement in France. Elsom, who played 75 matches for the Wallabies, was found guilty by a French court of misappropriating €700,000 during his tenure as president of RC Narbonne, a prestigious rugby club in southern France, in 2015-2016.
Elsom, 41, was convicted in absentia and sentenced to five years in prison. The court ruled that he abused his position to embezzle funds and forge documents. One of the charges involved making an unjustified payment of €79,000 to a former coach, while another saw him giving a monthly salary of €7,200 to an Australian resident who had never actually worked at the club.
During his time as president, Elsom played a role in overseeing the financial troubles at the club, which ultimately led to its relegation and administration in 2018. The court also ordered him to pay back a significant portion of the embezzled money, approximately €705,000.
At the time of the verdict, Elsom was living in Dublin, Ireland, where he has reportedly been coaching at the Catholic University School, a private boys’ school. He told the Sunday Times in an October interview that he planned to remain in Dublin until December. His connection to Ireland is strong, having played for Leinster Rugby in the late 2000s, helping the team win the Heineken Cup in 2009.
This conviction marks a dramatic fall for Elsom, once a celebrated figure in Australian rugby, both on the field and in the corporate world of sports.