Former Irish Rugby Player Convicted of Rape and Sentenced in France

Denis Coulson is sentenced to 14 years in prison for the rape of a woman in Bordeaux, while other former rugby players face various sentences for their involvement in the crime.

Former Irish U20 rugby player Denis Coulson has been sentenced to 14 years in prison by the Bordeaux Cour d'Assises after being found guilty of raping a woman in France in 2017. Born in Dublin, Coulson's career included stints with Connacht and Stade Français, and he was one of two former Irish internationals convicted during this trial.

Alongside Coulson, Chris Farrell, who was part of Ireland’s Grand Slam-winning squad in 2018, received a four-year sentence, with two years suspended, for failing to prevent the crime. Farrell will not serve time in prison but is required to wear an electronic tag for two years while remaining in France.

The court proceedings also implicated three additional players from their time as teammates at FC Grenoble. Loick Jammes, a 30-year-old Frenchman, was sentenced to 14 years for his role, while Rory Grice, a 34-year-old from New Zealand, received a 12-year prison sentence. Dylan Hayes, a 30-year-old fellow New Zealander, was handed a two-year suspended sentence for failure to prevent the crime.

Despite the serious allegations, all five defendants denied the charges against them.