The most hated man in Australia today is a 22-year-old rugby league star who has made the huge mistake of walking out on his team to pursue a career in France.

Sonny Bill Williams secretly boarded a plane and defected to a French rugby union team on Saturday, leaving in his wake a devastated squad, children's charities and an enraged nation.

The Canterbury Bulldogs star had served only one year of a five-year contract worth Aus$2million, but has been apparently seduced by the offer of a two-year contract worth upwards of Aus$2.6 million with the French club Toulon.

To a nation for which sport is not just a national pastime but a religion for which they show an almost fanatical devotion, Sonny Bill's defection is seen as nothing short of criminal.

In fact the head of the National Rugby League (NRL), David Gallop, said today that Williams, who was due to play against St George Illawarra tonight, might face criminal charges.

The league is to go to the Supreme Court within the next 24 hours to stop Williams playing elsewhere and Mr Gallop says that the New Zealand international may also be arrested and have his assets in Australia seized.

"Ultimately, if these proceedings were to reach the end conclusion and he was to ignore them, then he's facing criminal charges," he said.

"We're taking this matter very seriously."

In an added twist, Sonny Bill was left languishing in London today after the New Zealand-born player, whose father is Samoan, reportedly did not have the right visa.

The news has dominated headlines in Australia, with furious fans calling in to radio stations to express their outrage. It is not just his unsportsman like treatment of his squad that has got them going. He was to be the guest of honour for children's charity Essere at its major fundraising dinner next month and his decision not to attend that event has been condemned as a callous snub.

Sonny Bill's decision to quit Australian rugby league also focuses attention on the financial pressures put on the game. Elite players are deserting clubs to take up lucrative offers from rugby union in France, which is seen as a plaything for the rich and famous. While Sydney clubs are under immense financial pressure, in France they are privately owned, and there are no salary caps. The only limit is how much the owners are prepared to spend.

Williams is the second player to defect in less than a month. Like him, the St George Illawarra star Mark Gasnier, who also opted to choose big bucks over club loyalty, was a superstar.

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