England star considered 'ending his life' after false rape accusation ruined his career

The 32-year-old winger was left jobless and forced to leave Sale Sharks after sex worker Sandra Ntonya, 44, falsely claimed he had assaulted a teenage girl.

Ntonya – who brands herself "The Justified Hooker" – stalked Yarde for over a year, repeatedly calling him a "rapist" on social media.

Her allegations led to Yarde's arrest, and while no charges were ever brought, the damage was already done.

In Manchester Crown Court, prosecutor Jack Troup laid out the devastating toll the accusations took on Yarde’s life.

"Mr Yarde is a well-known rugby union player and he explains the impact of those repeated social media posts on him," Troup said.

Yarde was forced to leave England to play rugby in France, which meant cutting ties with several charities he previously supported.

"As a result, he had to terminate his relationship with a number of charities in England as it was not feasible to support them," Troup added.

The move also shattered his family life, forcing him to live apart from his young daughter.

Despite admitting she lied and repeatedly apologising, Ntonya avoided jail.

She was handed a 20-month suspended sentence, with the judge ruling that an immediate prison term would negatively impact her young son.

For Yarde, however, the damage has already been done.

England secured the trophy with a win in Rome, as they handed Italy a one-sided 34-5 bonus point defeat. We are challenging you to remember who started for England that day, as the match was played in front of an empty stadium during the Covid-19 Pandemic.

You have five minutes to provide your answers, good luck!