Former Wallabies Captain Rocky Elsom Tracked Down in Australia Amid French Jail Warrant

• Former Wallabies captain Rocky Elsom has been located in Cooroy, Queensland, amid an international arrest warrant
• Elsom is fighting a French court conviction linked to his leadership of the now‑defunct club RC Narbonne
• The rugby star’s career included 75 test caps for Australia and high-profile clashes with Springboks legends

Former Australian rugby captain Rocky Elsom, a star flanker capped 75 times for the Wallabies, has been found living quietly in Cooroy, Queensland, while seeking to overturn a French jail sentence and international arrest warrant linked to his leadership of the now-defunct French club Narbonne.

Rocky Dan Elsom was born on 14 February 1983 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. He emerged as one of Australia’s most powerful loose forwards, known for his physical play and breakdown skills. He made his Wallabies debut in 2005 against Samoa in Sydney and went on to make 75 test appearances for the national side, scoring 70 points during his international career.

Read also

South African-born striker secures move to Spanish La Liga club

Rocky Elsom’s rugby career and Wallabies highlights

Elsom’s Super Rugby career included stints with the New South Wales Waratahs from 2003 to 2008 and in 2012, as well as the ACT Brumbies from 2010 to 2011. He also played club rugby overseas, most notably for Leinster in Ireland, where he won the 2009 Heineken Cup.

He captained the Wallabies from 2009 until shortly before the 2011 Rugby World Cup, leading Australia in matches against some of the world’s best teams. Throughout his international career, Elsom faced South Africa’s Springboks on multiple occasions.

The Wallabies and Springboks have one of rugby’s oldest rivalries, with iconic encounters often featuring South African stalwarts such as Schalk Burger Jr, former captain Juan Smith, Bakkies Botha, and later Eben Etzebeth and current captain Siya Kolisi during test series in the late 2000s and early 2010s. Those matches tested Elsom’s abrasive flanker play against the physicality and tactical skill of the Springbok forwards in Tri Nations and Rugby Championship clashes.

Read also

Joost van der Westhuizen’s widow gets engaged, fans take to social media

French legal troubles and life in Cooroy

Elsom’s post-rugby career took a turbulent turn in 2015–16 when he became president and majority owner of French club RC Narbonne. A French court convicted him in absentia in October 2024 of misusing corporate assets and initially sentenced him to five years in prison. An international arrest warrant was issued, although there was no reported Interpol red notice at the time.

After the original sentence was reduced on appeal in March 2025, forgery charges were dropped, and a two-year term was upheld with fines totalling roughly €100,000 and compensation of nearly €220,000. Elsom did not present himself in France.

Journalists recently tracked Elsom to Cooroy, Queensland, where he has lived since late 2024 and working in local businesses while awaiting the outcome of his ongoing appeal against the French conviction. He has maintained that he was not properly notified of the initial trial and denies wrongdoing.

Read also

Springboks flyhalf stocks strong as Erasmus eyes tactical flexibility

At age 42, Elsom appears to have shifted away from professional sport, stepping back into private life on the Sunshine Coast hinterland while continuing his legal battle from Australia. His appeal is being heard in France, but for now, the European warrant remains active outside Australian jurisdiction.

Elsom spoke to 7NEWS Sydney and explained that he's an innocent man and hasn’t been in hiding.

He is not the only sportsperson making headlines in 2026. Former Canadian Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding was, after more than a decade on the run and now faces charges of major drug trafficking and murder in the United States.

South African Paralympic legend Natalie du Toit was also in the spotlight for reasons outside the swimming pool, with reports revealing that the decorated athlete was facing a formal demand from the South African Revenue Service for more than R1 million in unpaid taxes.

Read also

Bundee Aki ban rocks Ireland as centre ruled out of key Six Nations clashes

Pistorius finishes 3rd in Durban Ironman race

Briefly News previously reported that Oscar Pistorius has made a low-key comeback to competitive sport, competing in the Durban Half Ironman, where he secured third place in his division.

This was the former Paralympic champion’s second official competition since leaving prison. Pistorius spent more than ten years incarcerated for the 2013 killing of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, and now lives under strict parole supervision.

Source: Briefly News