By French authorities have issued an international arrest warrant for former Wallabies captain Rocky Elsom. He has been convicted in absentia of forgery, use of forged documents, and misusing corporate assets, and has been sentenced to five years in prison by a Narbonne court.
Elsom, 41, served as president of the French rugby club Narbonne for three years until 2016. French newspaper Midi Olympique described his departure as leaving behind a “catastrophic financial situation.” He is accused of embezzling about €700,000 ($1.13 million) before leaving the club, which was later relegated to the third division of French rugby.
Elsom initially joined Narbonne as a player in 2014, later joining the club’s supervisory board and becoming president in October 2015. Once a major name in French rugby, Narbonne won the national championship in 1979 but has faced financial struggles in recent years.
The club was bought in 2011 by an Australian investment fund, FGM, involving World Cup-winning coach Bob Dwyer and former Waratahs general manager David Gibson. Neither Dwyer nor Gibson is implicated in any wrongdoing, and Dwyer declined to comment.
In a 2014 interview with SBS, Rocky Elsom, one of the main shareholders of FGM, explained: “We had to make savings on 17 contracts and recruit many unknown players. I wasn’t the most popular person in town at the time.”
The club also sought financial support from locals, and according to L’Independant, local entrepreneurs contributed €630,000 to help keep Narbonne afloat.
The newspaper reported that Elsom allegedly spent €675,532, with some of the funds used for “virtual services” to two companies, one Australian and the other based in Hong Kong, both of which he had significant interests in.
Elsom, who played 75 Tests for the Wallabies and captained Australia 22 times, began his professional career in 2001 with rugby league club Canterbury before switching to rugby union. He went on to star for the Waratahs, Brumbies, and Irish club Leinster, where he helped win the European Cup in 2009 under coach Michael Cheika.
Former Waratahs coach Matt Williams, who held senior positions at Narbonne before resigning in 2012, now volunteers to coach the club’s junior side. Reflecting on Narbonne’s struggles, Williams said: “Rugby is the heart of these small towns. In the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s, clubs like Narbonne and Beziers were French rugby powerhouses. It’s heartbreaking for the community, but they’re slowly starting to recover.”
“I’m absolutely delighted that justice is finally being served. I’m especially grateful that the people of Narbonne have forgiven me, as they now understand I wasn’t involved with the situation.
“For years, I had suspicions, and now that justice is being done, it’s the right thing. The whole ordeal broke the community and shattered their hearts.
“Some of the older members who devoted their lives to the club—from playing as kids to becoming administrators or supporters—witnessed outsiders come in and tear their beloved club apart.”
In a surprising turn, Elsom resurfaced in Ireland last week and spoke to The Sunday Times. He shared that he’s back in Dublin until the year’s end, coaching at Catholic University School while recovering from an injury, having paused his construction business in Queensland.
“I’m recovering from an injury, and this is a great place for it,” Elsom said in the interview. “I had some downtime from work and thought it was a good opportunity to take a break. I’m trying to avoid surgery again, so I’ll stay here and focus on my recovery.”
“As for the construction business back home, I’ve got a solid team in place. They don’t need me at the moment, which is a relief.”
Elsom also mentioned that he hadn’t informed his old Leinster teammates of his return to Dublin. However, he was set to attend a sold-out URC match at Croke Park between Leinster and Munster as a guest of his former club. He was scheduled to participate in a Q&A session with former teammates Bernard Jackman, Shane Horgan, and Malcolm O’Kelly.
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