He has plead guilty to the charges (Picture: Getty)
Top rugby player Api Ratuniyarawa is facing jail after admitting a series of sexual offences committed days before he was due to play for the Barbarians.
The 37-year-old Fijian appeared before Cardiff Crown Court where he plead guilty to two charges of assault by penetration and one charge of sexual assault.
The offences were allegedly committed against three women and took place between October 31 and November 2, the court heard.
Ratuniyarawa, of Kislingbury, Northamptonshire, denied two further charges of sexual assault relating to one of the three women.
The father-of-four, who has also played for Northampton Saints and in France, has been without a club since Premiership club London Irish went into receivership in the summer, the court heard.
He was hoping his appearance for the Barbarians invitational side would lead to winning a new playing contract.
He’s been released on bail and will return to court on January 9 (Picture: Getty)
Defending, Ruth Smith asked for Ratuniyarawa to be released on bail and for a pre-sentence report to be prepared.
She said: ‘The defendant has been on conditional bail, and he is aware of the significance of his pleas and the type of sentence that flows from such pleas.
‘He has been on very stringent conditions, and these are matters (that) arose out of primarily the consumption of alcohol.
‘He is someone who has very fixed ties to the UK and has played rugby here for a significant number of years.
‘His wife and four young children are resident here and have their own right to remain here and two of his children were born in the UK. He is not a flight risk.’
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The defence said Ratuniyarawa is the ‘sole breadwinner’ for his family, and needs to put his family in a financially stable position.
Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke, The Recorder of Cardiff, released Ratuniyarawa on conditional bail.
He will be required to stay at his home address, abide by a curfew, report daily to his local police station, surrender his passport and only travel to Wales for appointments.
The case has been adjourned until January 9, when he will be sentenced.
Judge Lloyd-Clark added: ‘I am going to order a pre-sentence report but you should read nothing into that, neither should you read anything into the fact that I am going to release you on conditional bail.’
Ratuniyarawa was also placed on the sexual offenders’ register.
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The offences were allegedly committed against three women and took place between October 31 and November 2.
