Court grants injunction against Sonny Bill
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Williams was unrepresented in today's hearing. (AFP: Boris Horvat)
The New South Wales Supreme Court has granted an injunction against Canterbury Bulldogs star Sonny Bill Williams playing for French Rugby Union club Toulon.
The Bulldogs sought the injunction to stop Williams playing his first game for the club tomorrow morning Australian time.
Williams was unrepresented in today's hearing but the court heard documents had been handed to Williams at a training field and delivered to a number of addresses in Australia.
"The evidence before the court satisfies that the first defendant (Williams) has failed to attend to his contractual responsibilities," Judge Robert Austin said at the hearing at which Williams was not represented.
"There is evidence he has entered into a contract with the second defendant (Toulon) ... and intends to play in a rugby match this evening."
The judge noted the jurisdictional difficulties in the case as Williams has said he intends to remain in France, but said the Bulldogs and the NRL had proven Williams could be successfully sued for damages in Australia if the player breaches the order.
"My conclusion is that the making of an interlocutory interim injunction will not be futile," the judge said.
NRL lawyer Tony O'Reilly says the league expects him to take the order seriously.
"Orders of courts aren't like referees telling players to stay on side," he said.
"Orders of courts are serious matters and people who are responsible comply with them. We expect he'll comply with it."
The New Zealand international quit the Bulldogs to sign a multi-million dollar deal with the cashed up French club coached by former All Black Tana Umaga.
-ABC/AFP
