Rocky Elsom: International arrest warrant issued for Australian rugby legend

An international arrest warrant has been issued for former Australian rugby star Rocky Elsom after he was found guilty of embezzling money in France, French media say.

The former Australian national team captain was the president of one of the country's most prestigious clubs, RC Narbonne, in 2015-16. A court on Friday found him guilty of embezzling a total of €700,000 (£586,000).

According to French media, Elsom was convicted in absentia and sentenced to five years in prison.

He recently told the Sunday Times that he lives in the Irish capital, Dublin.

In an interview with the British outlet published on October 6, Elsom said he was coaching at the Catholic University School, a private school for boys in Dublin. He said he plans to stay in the city till December.

A sporting celebrity in Ireland, the 41-year-old played for Leinster Rugby in the late 2000s and helped the team win the Heineken Cup, Europe's top club rugby tournament, in 2009.

He made 75 appearances for the Australian national team between 2005 and 2011 – nicknamed The Wallabies – after his retirement he was part of a consortium that bought RC Narbonne.

A French court found Elsom guilty of misappropriating corporate assets and falsifying documents while he was club president, local media reports say.

A lawyer involved in the case, Patrick Tabet, was quoted by Ouest-France newspaper as saying Elsom paid a “completely unjustified” payment of €79,000 to a former coach and a monthly salary of €7,200 to an Australian resident who “never. came to Narbonne”.

The club was placed under administration and relegated in 2018.

The judge ordered a stiffer prison sentence than the two years requested by prosecutors. Mr Tabet said the former Wallabies star was ordered to pay back around €705,000 (£586,000).