ANGOULÊME, France — A French jury has rejected an appeal by former Irish rugby union player Denis Coulson, upholding a 14-year prison sentence for his role in the 2017 gang rape of a student.

The verdict, delivered shortly after 2 a.m. Local time by a court in Angoulême, confirmed the original penalties for Coulson and two former teammates. The court found no significant change in the circumstances of the case to justify a reduction in the sentences given the seriousness of the crimes.

Details of the Conviction and Sentencing

The legal proceedings stem from an incident in March 2017 in Bordeaux, where the players had traveled to compete in a match. The court heard that Coulson and his teammates met a 20-year-old student in a bar and subsequently raped her in their hotel while she was in a blackout state.

The jury upheld the following sentences for the primary offenders:

• Denis Coulson (31): 14 years in prison.
• Loïck Jammes (31): 14 years in prison.
• Rory Grice (36): 12 years in prison.

two other teammates were convicted during the original trial for failing to prevent the crime. Chris Farrell received a four-year sentence with two years suspended, while Dylan Hayes was given a two-year suspended sentence. Neither Farrell nor Hayes appealed their convictions.

“You are sentenced to the same terms given the seriousness of the offences and the lack of any significant change compared to the previous ruling.”

— Presiding Judge Marie-Dominique Boulard-Paolini

Legal Recourse and Next Steps

Despite the jury’s decision, the legal battle is not yet over. Corinne Dreyfus-Schmidt, the lawyer representing the men, informed journalists that the three convicted players intend to appeal to France’s Court of Cassation, which serves as their final legal recourse.

Professional Background of Denis Coulson

Coulson’s rugby career spanned several high-profile clubs across Ireland and France. A product of St Michael’s College—where he won the 2012 Leinster Schools Rugby Senior Cup—he began his professional journey with FC Grenoble in 2014 under coach Bernard Jackman, making 39 appearances over three seasons.

His career trajectory included several other stints:

• Connacht: Signed in August 2017 for the 2017–2018 season, appearing 18 times.
• Stade Français: Played during the 2018–2019 season.
• US Carcassonne: Competed in the 2019–2020 season.
• Bective Rangers: Following his retirement from professional rugby in 2020, he returned to Ireland to play for this amateur side.

Coulson is also the nephew of billionaire businessman Paul Coulson.