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HYERES, France : New Zealand international back rower Sonny Bill Williams made his debut for French team Toulon here on Friday, hours after an Australian court denied him permission to play in Europe.
Williams took part in a friendly against Carqueiranne-Hyeres, despite a court ruling in favour of his former club the Canterbury Bulldogs which blocked the player's big-money move to the Top 14 side.
Earlier in the day a New South Wales Supreme Court ruled that Williams had been in breach of contract after the 23-year-old walked out of a five-year deal with Rugby League side Bulldogs without warning. The player is now in contempt of court.
The National Rugby League (NRL) has asked European rugby authorities -- as well as the Australian justice system - to force Williams to go back.
There are potential jurisdictional difficulties in getting Williams to return but the Bulldogs and NRL have insisted the player can be successfully sued for damages in Australia for breaching the order.
"My conclusion is that the making of an interlocutory interim injunction will not be futile," the judge said at the hearing, at which Williams was not represented.
The court heard that the player had been served with New South Wales court documents earlier this week after they were thrown over a fence as he trained with Toulon.
Bulldogs chief executive Todd Greenberg warned that the club would take the matter further if he breached the injunction against his playing.
"The Bulldogs will continue to stand up for what's right for the club and continue to stand up for the principle and sanctity of the contract," Greenberg told reporters after the hearing in Sydney.
Williams on Thursday was unrepentant about the move, telling Australian television he did it for more than the money and that the factors included a bust-up with Bulldogs coach Steve Folkes.
"I'm no coward, you know. I stood up for myself and I stood up for player rights," he told Nine Network.
"That's not a coward act, that's showing some balls to really stand up and show that we don't have to cop that, you know what I mean. We can get what we deserve.
"If some good comes out of what I've done, which I think it will, you know hopefully these players do start getting treated a bit better, not just like cattle."
- AFP
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