Former Australian rugby union captain Rocky Elsom has been sentenced to five years in prison after a French court found him guilty of misusing corporate assets during his presidency of French club Narbonne.
A court official told Reuters that a court in Narbonne last week found the 41-year-old guilty of forgery, use of forgery and misuse of corporate assets. He denied the allegations.
Elsom, who was in Narbonne from 2013 to 2016, was convicted in absentia and an international arrest warrant was issued for his arrest. He was also ordered to pay back 700,000 euros ($761,000).
In a statement published by the Sydney Morning Herald on Tuesday, Elsom said he was not informed of the court hearing and was not given an opportunity to defend himself against the charges.
He added that this was a “clear perversion of justice.” The newspaper said Elsom had hired a lawyer to appeal the court’s decision.
A powerful blindside flanker, Elsom played 75 Tests for the Wallabies and was their captain from 2009 until just before the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
He also enjoyed a successful spell in the Irish province of Leinster and told Britain’s Times newspaper this month that he was coaching at a Dublin school.
($1 = 0.9194 euros)