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Toulouse sack ex-All Blacks Sevens star following conviction
By Ian Cameron
Former All Blacks Sevens star George Tilsley has been sacked by Toulouse following a conviction for domestic violence in the French courts.
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It’s reported that the 6’5, 100kg Tilsley has been given a six-month suspended prison sentence for assaulting his girlfriend.
The 31-year-old winger was placed in police custody on 10 August and subsequently pleaded guilty to the charges against him.
The winger had been sidelined with a knee injury when the incident occurred. As a result of the conviction, Toulouse have sacked the former Manawatu, Agen, Perpignan and Bordeaux player, saying he will not continue at the club, effective at the end of the month.
Didier Lacroix said: “George Tilsley is off work until the end of the month and we cannot contact him until then. He is no longer presumed innocent and there will be no possibility for him to evolve under our colors.
“Legally, we cannot rule on his case but it is obvious that we do not accept this type of behaviour within the club. We will never accept it.”
The Top 14 giants had signed him as Rugby World Cup joker.
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Tilsley was the first player of Papua New Guinea heritage to represent the New Zealand sevens team.
I don’t think there’s anyone out there in their right mind who condones physical violence against a spouse or anyone for that matter. And he was convicted for that behaviour appropriately. What I am against however, is blacklisting players who have experienced this lapse in judgement and then denying them any opportunity to earn an honest living. If this were an airline pilot or a civil engineer would/should he be denied an opportunity to practice his profession - I think not. I think athletes who perpetrate domestic violence should be held fully accountable. Let’s also allow room for redemption. What he did was bad, yes, but we cannot discard a whole human being. Let’s get him counselling and rehabilitation and make sure he understands the gravity of his mistake. Hopefully he doesn’t repeat it and comes out a better person on the other side.
Good on Toulouse.
I guess he'll sign at Biarritz with fellow wife-beater Houas now or maybe Oyonnax with his sevens buddy Jonathan Ruru who also likes to throw hands at home.