Former rugby player Rocky Elsom says he will appeal French

Ex-Leinster and Australia forward alleges he was not allowed defend himself in what was a ‘clear perversion of justice’

Rocky Elsom, a former Leinster and Australian rugby player, has disputed charges of forgery and embezzlement stemming from his

period as president of French club Narbonne, which led to his conviction last week.

A French court found the 41-year-old guilty of forgery, use of forgery, and misuse of business assets in 2014 and 2015, and sentenced him

to five years. An international arrest warrant was subsequently issued. He has also been ordered to refund €700,000 to the club.

However, in a statement published by the Sydney Morning Herald on Tuesday, Elsom stated that he had not been told of the court hearing

or given the opportunity to defend himself.

“Not allowing me to defend the charges is a clear perversion of justice,” Elsom told the daily, adding that he planned to appeal the guilty

judgment.

“I have little more information on the evidence that was presented in the hearing [other] than [what] is in the public domain,” he said. “I

can only address the claims that have been made public.

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

Elsom played for Leinster during the 2008-2009 season and helped the team win its first European Champions Cup, being named player

of the match in both the semi-finals and the final.

In a recent interview with the Sunday Times, he revealed that he had returned to Dublin, was living in Rathmines, and was teaching rugby

at the Catholic University School on Leeson Street while recovering from an injury.

He informed the newspaper that he was taking a break from his construction firm in Queensland and intended to stay in Ireland until the

end of the year.

Brian O’Driscoll, the former Ireland rugby captain, once called Elsom “the best player I’ve ever played with” and stated that he would not

have won his first European Rugby Champions Cup without him in 2009.

Elsom, dubbed “a modern-day renaissance man, a Leonardo da Vinci in studs” by an Australian journalist, played for Narbonne during

the 2013-14 season.

Patrick Tabet, a lawyer involved in the court case, told AFP that Elsom was accused of paying €79,000 to a former coach when “nothing

could justify it,” as well as paying €7,200 per month to an individual residing in Australia who “never came to Narbonne” and “did not

perform any service” for the club.

The Australian made his international debut in 2005 and was captain of the Wallabies from 2009 until shortly before the 2011 Rugby

World Cup, in which he competed.

In his 2009 season with Leinster, he played 20 games and won 13 man-of-the-match accolades, six in nine games in the Heineken Cup,

including best player in the semi-final victory over Munster at Croke Park and the final win over the Leicester Tigers at Murrayfield. He

was never replaced during a Leinster game.

The French prosecutor asked for a two-year prison sentence, but the president of the criminal court sentenced him to five years and issued

an international arrest demand.