Rocky Elsom’s father gives update on ex-Wallabies captain who remains in HIDING overseas after international arrest warrant

The father of former Wallabies captain Rocky Elsom has confirmed his son is ‘safe and well’ – despite an international arrest warrant being issued for the 42-year-old in March following alleged misuse of corporate assets when previously president of French club Narbonne.

Robbie Elsom – aged 80 – then revealed why he is eyeing off a stint in politics as the One Nation MP for the seat of Ryan in Brisbane’s west ahead of Saturday’s federal election.

In an extensive interview with Daily Mail Australia, Elsom snr said he had been in contact with the 75-Test veteran, but for obvious reasons remained tight-lipped on his current whereabouts.

‘He is doing OK, is safe and well, but will remain in hiding,’ he said of the high-profile fugitive.

‘If you look at his (court case) it was like a boxing bout, but he won the first round following an acquittal. A number of the charges were thrown out, which is crucial.

‘Rocky desperately wants to clear his name, but as you can understand, these things take time.

‘He is completely innocent, they (French government) had to point the finger at someone.’

Earlier this year, the decorated ex-Wallabies skipper was sentenced to two years in prison by a French court for allegedly misusing corporate assets during his time as club president of Narbonne between 2015 and 2016.

He was also fined 100,000 euros ($A172,346), with half the sum suspended.

Elsom went on trial for allegedly embezzling club funds by making unjustified expenditures to pay a coach or a general manager who was living in Australia at the time.

He was acquitted on charges of forgery and use of forgery but was ordered to pay 230,000 euros ($A396,396) in compensation to the club’s liquidator.

His lawyer Yann Le Bras appealed the outcome.

During a trial in February, the prosecutor requested a three-year prison sentence and a fine of 630,000 euros ($A1.1 million).

In a previous trial in October last year, Elsom was sentenced to five years in prison, but did not attend the hearing.

Elsom has been the subject of an international arrest warrant since that conviction. 

As permitted by French law, Elsom requested to be retried with legal representation.

He had been living in Ireland since August 2024 and fled the country after an international arrest warrant was issued against him. 

He denied any wrongdoing and said that under his leadership Narbonne was in a healthy financial position.

‘(Narbonne) achieved solid profits, had good sporting results, and remained in Pro D2 (the second tier of French rugby) until 2016 and beyond,’ he said in a statement in October.

‘It seems that I have been targeted as a scapegoat for the future mismanagement of this famous rugby club.’

Narbonne went into liquidation in 2018 and now competes in the third-tier Fédérale league.

The 42-year-old said in an interview four months ago on YouTube that he left immediately with only a single backpack when he found out that Ireland was legally obliged to extradite him to France.

When he gave the interview to Mark Bouris from a hidden location, he said he had not been informed there was a public trial in October.

‘This is a really important part of it. I didn’t know a court case was on and there was no possible way for me to know,’ he said.

Meanwhile, his father Robbie Elsom will contest the seat of Ryan in Brisbane’s west on Saturday as a One Nation candidate.

The father of nine has no background in politics, but wants ‘the nation to be better run.’

‘I’ve been involved in business since I was 18, and I’ve never seen Australia in a worse state,’ he said.

‘From the cost of living, immigration, petrol prices, house properties being out of control….things simply have to change.

‘I’m confident we (One Nation) will win the seat….just like Rocky when he played rugby, I’m not here to lose.’