Irish Rugby Player Sentenced for Rape in Bordeaux

Denis Coulson, a former rugby player for Ireland, was sentenced to 14 years in prison for rape as part of broader convictions that involved other players on trial.

 
In a shocking verdict delivered on Friday at Bordeaux's Cour d'Assises, Denis Coulson, a Dublin-born ex-rugby player, was sentenced to 14 years behind bars after being found guilty of raping a woman in Bordeaux, France, in 2017. Coulson, who represented Ireland at the U20 level and played for Connacht and Stade Français, was one of two former Irish internationals sentenced on the same day. Chris Farrell, another player in the spotlight and winner of the Grand Slam in the 2018 Six Nations, received a four-year term with two years suspended for failing to prevent a crime. Despite his sentence, Farrell will not serve time in prison but must wear an electronic tag for two years while remaining in France.

The case involved a total of five men, all ex-teammates from FC Grenoble, with additional allegations of rape resulting in convictions for two more rugby players. Loick Jammes, 30, from France, also received a 14-year sentence for rape, while Rory Grice, a 34-year-old from New Zealand, was handed a 12-year sentence. Dylan Hayes, another New Zealander aged 30, was given a two-year suspended sentence for failure to prevent a crime. The defendants all denied the charges against them throughout the trial.