Former rugby players found guilty in Bordeaux court for 2017 incident
In a significant turn of events for the rugby community, ex-Ireland U20 player Denis Coulson has been sentenced to 14 years in prison after being convicted of the rape of a woman in Bordeaux, France, in 2017. The ruling was delivered on Friday at the Cour d'Assises in Bordeaux, which has seen a series of high-profile cases involving rugby players.
Coulson, who has represented Connacht and Stade Français, was among a group of former teammates facing serious allegations. In a parallel case, Chris Farrell, part of the Grand Slam-winning team during the 2018 Six Nations, received a four-year sentence, with two years suspended, for failing to prevent a crime. Farrell will serve his sentence under an electronic tag in France.
The courtroom drama included three others, with two also being convicted of rape. Loick Jammes, a 30-year-old from France, received a similar 14-year sentence while Rory Grice, a 34-year-old New Zealander, was handed a 12-year term. Another player, Dylan Hayes, also from New Zealand, faced a two-year suspended sentence for failure to act against the crime. All five defendants, who have maintained their innocence throughout the proceedings, were once teammates at FC Grenoble, underlining the cultural and ethical shifts needed within professional sports.
