fLIP
UFO Hunter
Renegade league star Sonny Bill Williams defied a Supreme Court injunction to make his rugby debut for Toulon yesterday.
And the former Bulldogs and Kiwis sensation also defied the rules of his new code flattening an opponent with a trademark shoulder charge.
Proving his beliefs are as staunch as his defence, Williams claimed he'd be willing to do jail time to realise his ambition to play rugby at the highest level including one day turning out for the All Blacks.
"I stand by my convictions and if they want to send me to jail for what I believe in, then so be it," Williams said hours before turning out for the match against second-tier French team Carqueiranne-Hyeres.
His debut means he is now in contempt of the New South Wales Court, which on Friday ruled he had breached his contract with the Bulldogs by walking out on a five-year deal with the NRL club without warning.
But tough-talking Toulon club president Mourad Boudjellal isn't backing down either, refusing to recognise the Australian court order which outlawed Williams from playing for anyone other than Canterbury until 2013.
"I would only recognise a French court and I only take my orders from the International Rugby Board and the French Rugby Federation," Boudjellal said.
"The only problem might have been if the Bulldogs had asked for a release letter. But there has been no release letter asked for at all.
"If there is no request for an exit letter, there is no recognition of a former contract.
"He's signed his contract (with Toulon), he's played a game and he's with us."
Boudjellal said Williams no longer wanted to play the 13-man game.
"Sonny Bill's debut is honest," he said.
"He has decided to stop playing rugby league and start playing the 15-a-side game to realise a new dream, of playing for the All Blacks and learning about rugby union with (Toulon coach and ex-All Blacks captain) Tana Umaga."
Williams' defiant debut for Toulon was supposed to be a pre-season friendly against Carqueiranne-Hyeres but the 23-year-old enforcer's defence was anything but in his team's 50-5 victory. The former Bulldogs backrower was sent to the sin bin after landing the shoulder charge (allowed in league but outlawed in rugby).
Carqueiranne-Hyeres player Laussucq Arnaud described his first brush with the hulking Williams who started on the left wing before moving to centre as feeling "like an electrocution".
The Bulldogs unsuccessfully tried to serve Williams who walked out with four years owing on his $400,000-a-year contract with the NSW injunction before he took the field.
But Toulon officials ensured he was shielded at all times, even organising or him to arrive in a private car ahead of the team bus.
Williams performance on the field alongside former All Blacks hard man Jerry Collins impressed Toulon's fans, who packed the 3000-seat grandstand in Hyeres.
Among the crowd were friend and league star-turned-world champion boxer Anthony Mundine, and Williams' agent Khoder Nasser who have been blamed for Williams' new, brasher attitude.
And the former Bulldogs and Kiwis sensation also defied the rules of his new code flattening an opponent with a trademark shoulder charge.
Proving his beliefs are as staunch as his defence, Williams claimed he'd be willing to do jail time to realise his ambition to play rugby at the highest level including one day turning out for the All Blacks.
"I stand by my convictions and if they want to send me to jail for what I believe in, then so be it," Williams said hours before turning out for the match against second-tier French team Carqueiranne-Hyeres.
His debut means he is now in contempt of the New South Wales Court, which on Friday ruled he had breached his contract with the Bulldogs by walking out on a five-year deal with the NRL club without warning.
But tough-talking Toulon club president Mourad Boudjellal isn't backing down either, refusing to recognise the Australian court order which outlawed Williams from playing for anyone other than Canterbury until 2013.
"I would only recognise a French court and I only take my orders from the International Rugby Board and the French Rugby Federation," Boudjellal said.
"The only problem might have been if the Bulldogs had asked for a release letter. But there has been no release letter asked for at all.
"If there is no request for an exit letter, there is no recognition of a former contract.
"He's signed his contract (with Toulon), he's played a game and he's with us."
Boudjellal said Williams no longer wanted to play the 13-man game.
"Sonny Bill's debut is honest," he said.
"He has decided to stop playing rugby league and start playing the 15-a-side game to realise a new dream, of playing for the All Blacks and learning about rugby union with (Toulon coach and ex-All Blacks captain) Tana Umaga."
Williams' defiant debut for Toulon was supposed to be a pre-season friendly against Carqueiranne-Hyeres but the 23-year-old enforcer's defence was anything but in his team's 50-5 victory. The former Bulldogs backrower was sent to the sin bin after landing the shoulder charge (allowed in league but outlawed in rugby).
Carqueiranne-Hyeres player Laussucq Arnaud described his first brush with the hulking Williams who started on the left wing before moving to centre as feeling "like an electrocution".
The Bulldogs unsuccessfully tried to serve Williams who walked out with four years owing on his $400,000-a-year contract with the NSW injunction before he took the field.
But Toulon officials ensured he was shielded at all times, even organising or him to arrive in a private car ahead of the team bus.
Williams performance on the field alongside former All Blacks hard man Jerry Collins impressed Toulon's fans, who packed the 3000-seat grandstand in Hyeres.
Among the crowd were friend and league star-turned-world champion boxer Anthony Mundine, and Williams' agent Khoder Nasser who have been blamed for Williams' new, brasher attitude.
