An international arrest warrant has been issued for Australian ex-rugby star Rocky Elsom after he was convicted of embezzlement in France, according to French media. Elsom, who was the former captain of Australia's national team, served as president of RC Narbonne, one of France's most prestigious clubs, during 2015-16. A court found him guilty of misappropriating a total of €700,000 (£586,000). Elsom was convicted in absentia and given a five-year prison sentence, as reported by French media.

A well-known sports celebrity in Ireland, the 41-year-old played for Leinster Rugby in the late 2000s and contributed to the team's victory in the Heineken Cup, Europe's top club rugby tournament, in 2009. Additionally, he represented Australia's national team, the Wallabies, in 75 matches between 2005 and 2011. Following his retirement, he became part of a consortium that purchased RC Narbonne.

He recently told that he was living in the Irish capital, Dublin. In the interview with the British outlet, published on 6th October, Elsom said he was coaching at the Catholic University School, a private school for boys in Dublin. He said he planned to live in the city until December.

The French court found Elsom guilty of misusing corporate assets and falsifying documents during his tenure as president of the club, according to local media reports. Patrick Tabet, a lawyer involved in the case, was quoted in the Ouest-France newspaper as saying that Elsom made a "completely unjustified" payment of €79,000 to a former coach and paid a monthly salary of €7,200 to an Australian resident who "never came to Narbonne".

The club was placed into administration and relegated to lower leagues in 2018. The judge imposed a harsher prison sentence than the two years requested by prosecutors. Mr Tabet said the former Wallabies star was also ordered to repay approximately €700,000 (£586,000).