Sam Burgess
Sam Burgess | |
|---|---|
| Born | Samuel Burgess December 14, 1988 Liversedge, West Yorkshire, England |
| Occupation(s) | Rugby league player, Rugby union player, Coach |
| Years active | 2006–2019 (player) |
| Known for | Playing for Bradford Bulls, South Sydney Rabbitohs; England international; dual-code international; Clive Churchill Medal recipient; coach of Warrington Wolves |
Samuel Burgess (born 14 December 1988) is an English former rugby league player turned professional coach, currently leading the Warrington Wolves in the Super League. Throughout the 2000s and 2010s, he operated primarily as a or forward.
During his playing career, Burgess represented the Bradford Bulls in the Super League and later the South Sydney Rabbitohs in the NRL. He played a pivotal role in South Sydney's 2014 NRL Premiership triumph—their first title in over four decades—and was awarded the Clive Churchill Medal as the standout performer in the Grand Final. On the international stage, he competed for both Great Britain and England.
In late 2014, Burgess transitioned to rugby union, signing with Bath. By August 2015, he had earned selection for the England national side, achieving status as a dual-code international. He took part in England’s campaign at the 2015 Rugby World Cup before returning to rugby league for the 2016 NRL season.
Burgess announced his retirement on 30 October 2019 due to a shoulder injury.
Background
Known by the nickname "Slammin' Sam", Burgess is one of four brothers who have all played rugby league professionally. His younger sibling Tom remains with the South Sydney Rabbitohs, while his twin brother George retired in 2022 after playing for teams including the Rabbitohs, Wigan Warriors, and St. George Illawarra Dragons. The eldest brother, Luke, also retired following a career spanning both English and Australian clubs.
Early life
Born on 14 December 1988 in Liversedge, West Yorkshire, England, Burgess is the son of the late Mark Burgess, who played rugby league for Nottingham City, Rochdale Hornets, Dewsbury, and Hunslet. His mother, Julie, works as a teacher at The Scots College in Sydney. All his brothers—Luke, Tom, and George—have pursued professional rugby league careers.
He attended Heckmondwike Grammar School and developed his early sporting skills playing junior rugby with Hunslet Parkside and Dewsbury Moor. Additionally, he participated in cricket representing Liversedge Cricket Club.
Bradford Bulls
Burgess made his Super League debut against Leeds in 2006 and quickly gained recognition, receiving the Senior Academy Player of the Year Award. By 2007, he had established himself as a regular first-team player and was selected for Great Britain’s Test series against New Zealand. He scored on his international debut and earned the young player of the year accolade in the Super League. He was also named Man of the Match during the centenary clash between the All Golds and Northern Union sides. His aggressive style drew attention during a memorable tackle on New Zealand prop Fuifui Moimoi during their 2007 tour.
Injuries prevented him from being selected for England’s squad at the 2008 Rugby League World Cup.
In September 2009, Burgess agreed to a four-year contract with the South Sydney Rabbitohs, commencing in 2010. Although still contracted to Bradford Bulls for that season, he was released following a compensation arrangement. South Sydney co-owner Russell Crowe significantly influenced Burgess’s decision by inviting him and his mother to visit Crowe’s film set in England—a personal touch that helped secure his signature despite interest from other clubs.
His final match in the UK prior to moving to Australia was notable; he scored two tries in England's defeat by Australia during the 2009 Four Nations final.
South Sydney
Prior to making his club debut for South Sydney, Burgess appeared as a prop in the 2010 NRL All Stars Game, stepping in after Rabbitohs prop Dave Taylor sustained an injury. This fixture took place at Skilled Park on 13 February 2010, with the NRL All Stars narrowly defeated 16–12.
In 2010, Burgess was chosen to represent England in a single test match against France.
During Round 21 of that NRL season, Burgess was handed a one-week suspension due to a grade one grapple tackle on Canterbury’s fullback Ben Barba, resulting in him missing the Round 22 clash versus the Wests Tigers. This disciplinary action occurred at a pivotal moment when several other key forwards were already unavailable.
Burgess also featured for England in the 2010 Four Nations tournament. Early in the following year’s 2011 NRL season, he endured a shoulder injury necessitating surgery and subsequently suffered an ankle injury that sidelined him for the entire remainder of 2011.
In August 2013, the Burgess siblings made history by becoming the first quartet of brothers to play together for an Australian team since 1910. That same year, Burgess faced a two-match suspension linked to the controversial "squirrel grip" incident involving Will Chambers. Additionally, he was profiled in the documentary Slammin' Sam: The Sam Burgess Story. After concluding the 2013 NRL season, he represented England at the 2013 Rugby League World Cup.
On 17 February 2014, it was revealed that Burgess would transition to rugby union after the season concluded. His final appearance for South Sydney saw him line up alongside brothers Tom and George in the 2014 NRL Grand Final against the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs. Despite sustaining a fractured cheekbone early on, he persevered throughout the match and contributed significantly to securing victory. For his outstanding performance, Burgess was awarded the prestigious Clive Churchill Medal, becoming South Sydney’s first recipient of this honor in over four decades.
Rugby union
Burgess inked a three-year deal with Bath Rugby, competing in England’s premier league starting October 2014; however, his debut was postponed until December due to surgery addressing fractures to his cheek and eye socket. Often regarded as England’s equivalent to Sonny Bill Williams, he was prized for adapting rugby league techniques effectively into the union midfield backline.
He registered his inaugural try for Bath during the 13th round of the Premiership against Wasps and earned man of the match honors. On 21 January, Burgess was included in the England Saxons squad facing off against the Irish Wolfhounds. On 10 April, he started at blindside flanker against Newcastle Falcons, recording more turnovers than any other player that round.
On 10 August, Burgess was promoted to the England Elite Squad and made his international debut at Twickenham on 15 August in a Rugby World Cup warm-up fixture against France, which England won 19-14. Despite this milestone, former scrum half Matt Dawson criticized his positional awareness, suggesting Burgess lacked natural instincts required for playing centre. Nevertheless, he secured selection as one of four centres on England’s World Cup roster.
His performances during the World Cup attracted criticism and were partially held responsible for England’s premature elimination—the worst outcome for a host nation since 1991. In 2018, Burgess attributed this failure to "individual egos and selfish players not following our leader." His final appearance for England saw them leading Wales 25-18 before he was substituted in the 70th minute.
On 5 November, Burgess announced his departure from rugby union to return to South Sydney Rabbitohs under a new three-year contract.
Rugby league comeback
In November 2015, Burgess secured a contract with the South Sydney Rabbitohs worth $1.5 million AUD annually, positioning him as the highest-paid player in rugby league history and ranking him among the top three earners across both rugby codes. The following month, he was chosen to represent the World All Stars in the 2016 Rugby League All Stars Match, joining his brother Tom Burgess on the team.
By October 2016, Burgess earned a spot in England's 24-man roster for the 2016 Four Nations competition and was appointed captain by coach Wayne Bennett after the original skipper, Sean O'Loughlin, sustained an injury.
During the 2017 Rugby League World Cup, Burgess captained England in the final match following O'Loughlin’s absence due to injury; England was narrowly defeated by Australia with a scoreline of 6-0. In December 2017, he extended his tenure with South Sydney through to the end of 2019.
On 5 September 2018, Burgess agreed to a four-year contract extension with South Sydney, keeping him at the club until the conclusion of 2023. This extension coincided with South Sydney's revival, finishing third in the NRL regular season. Later that month, Burgess became linked to a social media controversy involving inappropriate conduct by several South Sydney players; reports associated his accounts with the incident. However, on 21 September 2018, the NRL officially cleared him of any wrongdoing. Burgess denied all allegations and retained legal representation to address the matter.
Burgess started the 2019 NRL season with strong performances as South Sydney won ten of their first eleven matches. After suffering a defeat in Round 13, he was sidelined due to a shoulder injury and later hospitalized because of a heart infection complication following surgery. He made a comeback in Round 20 but was placed on report for executing a high tackle.
On 21 August 2019, Burgess was recognized as one of the premier players of the decade by being named to the NRL team of the decade, an honor bestowed by a panel comprising premiership-winning coaches and Hall of Fame inductees.
In Round 25, Burgess received a one-match suspension for allegedly pulling hair during an altercation with Sydney Roosters player Billy Smith. Subsequently, in September 2019, NRL CEO Todd Greenberg summoned Burgess following his public criticism of the judiciary system after receiving this suspension.
South Sydney concluded the regular season in third place in 2019. Although Burgess missed the qualifying final due to suspension, he returned for the elimination semi-final victory over Manly-Warringah and participated in the preliminary final defeat against Canberra.
On 30 October 2019, Burgess announced his early retirement from professional rugby league owing to a persistent shoulder injury. He conveyed appreciation to supporters and reflected on both the triumphs and challenges experienced throughout his career with South Sydney and within the NRL.
Playing statistics
| Year | Team | Games | Tries | Goals | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Template:Leagueicon Bradford Bulls | 9 | 2 | 12 | |
| 2007 | 30 | 3 | 5 | 22 | |
| 2008 | 23 | 8 | 32 | ||
| 2009 | 26 | 4 | 16 | ||
| 2010 | Template:Leagueicon South Sydney Rabbitohs | 22 | 3 | 12 | |
| 2011 | 4 | ||||
| 2012 | 22 | 5 | 20 | ||
| 2013 | 22 | 8 | 32 | ||
| 2014 | 26 | 10 | 40 | ||
| 2016 | 23 | 5 | 20 | ||
| 2017 | 21 | 5 | 20 | ||
| 2018 | 23 | 1 | 4 | ||
| 2019 | 19 | 7 | 28 | ||
| Totals | 270 | 61 | 5 | 254 |
Coaching career
On 7 August 2023, Burgess committed to a two-year tenure as head coach of Warrington, commencing with the 2024 Super League season. Subsequently, on 23 August 2023, he departed from his position as assistant head coach at South Sydney amid reported disagreements with head coach Jason Demetriou concerning training methodologies.
Burgess steered Warrington to the 2024 Challenge Cup final held on 8 June 2024, where they were ultimately overcome by Wigan. During his inaugural season, he achieved a third-place finish in the league and led the team to the semi-finals, narrowly falling to Hull Kingston Rovers.
On 7 June 2025, Burgess once again guided Warrington into the Challenge Cup final, experiencing an 8-6 defeat against Hull Kingston Rovers despite holding a late lead of 6-2. Following the match, Burgess commended his squad’s resilient performance throughout the contest despite the unfavorable result.
League and Cup Games
| Team | From | To | M | W | D | L | PF | PA | Win% | Honours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Template:Sortname |
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Hall of Fame
In August 2024, Burgess was inducted into the National Rugby League Hall of Fame as the 126th member, joining ten other male players in the 2024 induction class.
Rugby league
- NRL Champion: 2014
- Recipient of the Clive Churchill Medal: 2014
- Winner of the George Piggins Medal: 2014
- Jack Rayner Players' Player Award: 2014
- Bob McCarthy Clubman of the Year Award: 2014
- Burrow Appreciation Award: 2014
- Selected for the 2019 NRL Team of the Decade (2010–2019)
- Inductee into the National Rugby League Hall of Fame (#126) in 2024
Rugby union
Runner-up in the Aviva Premiership for the 2014/15 season
Personal life
Burgess married Phoebe Hooke in December 2015 in New South Wales. The couple had two children before separating in 2019. They briefly reconciled in April that year but separated again in October. After their separation, an apprehended violence order was filed against Burgess by his former father-in-law. Burgess denied all related accusations, asserting they were unfounded. Initially convicted of intimidation in February 2021, this verdict was overturned on appeal in March. By October 2021, all charges had been dismissed following a police inquiry.
In February 2021, Burgess faced legal proceedings for driving offenses including operating a vehicle without a valid licence and failing a roadside drug test; his court appearance was scheduled for May 2021.
In October 2024, Burgess wed Lucy Graham in Rome. The couple established their home in Cheshire, England, and have a daughter together.
External links
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- Living people
- 2015 Rugby World Cup players
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- Bradford Bulls players
- Burgess family
- Clive Churchill Medal winners
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- England international rugby union players
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- People educated at Heckmondwike Grammar School
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