Exclusive: ‘Like spitting on the carpet’ – Moment that broke Wallaby’s tie with French club and led to eight-year chase

Over the weekend, Elsom’s name made headlines when an international arrest warrant was issued for him after he

was found guilty in absentia by a French court of embezzling money while holding the positions of president and

part-owner of Narbonne.

Elsom was found guilty by the court of forgery, using a forgery, and misusing company property. The court also ruled

that Elsom had embezzled €700,000 ($1.13 million), which he must repay.

Elsom has refuted the claims, speaking exclusively to The Roar about the incidents that thrust him back into the

public eye over ten years after he left the club.

French lawyer Patrick Tabet claimed Elsom was found to have made a “completely unjustified” payment of €79k

($A128k) to a former coach and also a €7,2000 ($11,670) monthly salary to an Australian resident who “never came

to Narbonne” to act as general manager.

The Roar can reveal that the $128k payment was to former Wallaby Chris Whitaker, the then Narbonne assistant

coach who had been offered an extension deal before a change of the head coach led to a cleanout.

It’s believed the then RNCM President Bernard Achilla had discussed the settlement with Whitaker.

The manager who was alleged to have received payments is Chris Bayman, who has denied receiving any money from the club.

Talking to The Roar, Elsom pinpointed the meeting that he believes set this in motion.

On the same day Michael Cheika’s Wallabies ran out on Twickenham to tackle the All Blacks in the 2015 World Cup

final, Elsom, the brilliant back-rower who failed to shut down Israel Dagg in their semi-final loss to the same

opponent four years earlier at Eden Park, was introduced to Jihad Manai – a billionaire out of Qatar.

The head of Roland Garros, Gilbert Ysern, who previously owned Racing Club Narbonne Méditerranée, put in a call

for Elsom to meet Manai. Elsom, who was tired and open to a clean and prosperous way out for everyone, obliged.

Manai, was introduced as a member of the Qatari Investment Authority, which was said to be interested in buying

the French Pro D2 club.

For the stakeholders of RCNM, it was music to their ears after historically struggling financially since claiming their

last title in 1979.

Indeed, those financial struggles had led to Elsom and a consortium of other Australians, including World Cup-

winning coach Bob Dwyer, taking control of the Mediterranean club in late 2012.

Three years later though, with Elsom stabilising the club and having led them to the finals, the Qatari Investment

Fund, through Manai, came knocking.

The club’s board and other stakeholders, wanting to see Narbonne explode back into the French Top 14, it was

something the board and various other stakeholders jumped at.

“I see this arrival as a tremendous opportunity for the town of Narbonne,” declared Didier Mouly, the mayor. “Jihad

Manai wishes to reach the top.”

Guy Molveau, the regional rugby president, added: “We can only praise the Australians for [what they did] four years

ago. They, and a group from Narbonne, have saved the club…but if the Qataris have the means to take an interest in

general, and RCNM Narbonne in particular, it’s an act which can become very important for rugby and also a boost

for the economy.”

But Elsom immediately had his guard up – and it is this financial prudence that is one of the best defences against

his alleged “misuse of assets” that has led to the Australian being issued an international arrest warrant.

“I said, ‘let’s not worry about it, we’ll just move on.’

“If I was wrong, it wouldn’t have bothered me because I didn’t grow up there and I’d just say, ‘OK, sorry, here you go,

you can have it,’ and then go from there. But for them, that was … a permanent mark.

“As a result, I said I’m issuing new shares. You can buy those shares, which means you’re putting them into the

company and instead of me having 97%, I’ll have 25% which means I’ll have no control. But until you put the money

in, I’m running this club how I want.”

Within a year, Elsom left the club.

After turning a profit in two of his three years as president, he did so. With the sale of shares in 2016, he was also

able to raise an additional €400,000.

On the pitch, he also left the team in a strong position, with a number of highly regarded foreign players, either at the

club or in route, including Karl Tu’inukuafe, Huia Edmonds, Piri Weepu, Brett Sheehan, Stephen Brett, Daniel

Halangahu, and Nafi Tuitavake.

Despite spending between €3.5-4 million per year during his tenure at Narbonne, it’s understood the French Pro D2

club almost doubled its spending in the years after Elsom left.

By 2018, Narbonne was placed into administration and relegated.

Six years later, with the then mayor’s second-in-command Bertrand Malquier now in the top job, Elsom’s

international arrest warrant appeared out of the blue last week.

Elsom believes he has no case to answer.

“They spent 6.5 and 7 million a year instead of €3.5–4 million, so money wasn’t an issue—the team’s performance

was,” claims Elsom.

When you combine the two arguments, there is no case. First of all, they are claiming that I was careless rather than

that I put it in my pocket.

“It would only be worthwhile to discuss if the club was in a bad location; fortunately, it was in a great one.”

Every time the club lost a big game, they turned the attention away from him, which makes Elsom think that

different people in Narbonne were clearly trying to hurt him.

Elsom told The Roar, “When they took over, they said it’s ‘a mess and Rocky’s been doing all this stuff.”

“They didn’t really talk about it much at first, but they did when they lost. They claimed to be working with the police

each time they were soundly defeated.

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