Sam Burgess

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Sam Burgess
Burgess in 2011
Personal information
Full name Samuel Burgess
Born (1988-12-14) 14 December 1988[1]
Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, England
Height 196 cm (6 ft 5 in)
Weight 116 kg (18 st 4 lb)
Playing information
Position Back-row, Prop
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2006–09 Bradford Bulls 88 17 5 0 78
2010– South Sydney Rabbitohs 70 16 0 0 64
Total 158 33 5 0 142
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2008–13  England 13 7 0 0 28
2007  Great Britain 2 1 0 0 4
2010 NRL All Stars 1 0 0 0 0
As of 24 September 2013
Source: Rugby League Project

Sam Burgess (born 14 December 1988) is an English professional rugby league footballer for the South Sydney Rabbitohs of the National Rugby League (NRL). A Great Britain and England international representative forward, he previously played in Super League for English club Bradford Bulls. Burgess was persuaded by Russell Crowe, co-owner of NRL club, South Sydney Rabbitohs to sign and move to Australia to play. Since doing so Burgess has been selected to play for the NRL All Stars, named captain of the Rabbitohs and had his brothers Luke, Tom and George move over to play professionally in Australia as well.[2]

Early life

Burgess was born on 14 December 1988 in Liversedge Wakefield, West Yorkshire. His late father, Mark Burgess who died of Motor neurone disease, was also a rugby league footballer who played for Nottingham City, Rochdale Hornets, Dewsbury and Hunslet;[3] whilst his mother Julie is a teacher, currently employed at The Scots College in Bellevue Hill, Sydney.[4] His older brother Luke, and younger twin brothers Tom and George, are all professional rugby league footballers as well.[5]

He attended Heckmondwike Grammar School to receive a secondary education before becoming a professional rugby player. He played his junior rugby for Dewsbury Moor, and also played for Liversedge Cricket Club.

Career

Bradford

Burgess made his Super League début against Leeds in 2006 after already being dubbed by Shontayne Hape as "Great Britain's Sonny Bill".[6] After a highly successful début season with the Bulls, Burgess was awarded the Senior Academy Player of the Year Award by the club. In 2007 Burgess has established himself as a first team regular. After a great full season he was called up for the Great Britain squad for the 2007 Test series with New Zealand, and was named as young player of the year in Super League. Burgess made his Great Britain début against New Zealand in the 1st test in October 2007, scoring a try. Burgess also played in the centenary match between the All Golds and Northern Union; he was awarded the Man of the match. He gained attention for his big hit on New Zealand prop Fuifui Moimoi during the Kiwi's 2007 tour when he was only 19 years old.[7]

Burgess playing for Bradford in 2008
At the end of 2008's Super League XIII, Burgess was forced to rule himself out contention for the England 2008 World Cup squad because of injury.[8]

In September, 2009, the South Sydney Rabbitohs announced they had signed Burgess on a four-year deal from the 2010 season. Burgess, on contract at Bradford until the end of the 2010 season, was released after the clubs agreed on a compensation fee.[7][9] South Sydney co-owner and A-list celebrity Russell Crowe persuaded Burgess to choose his club over others that were competing for his signature, after inviting Burgess and his mother to the set of Robin Hood, which he was filming in England at the time.[10]

Burgess, in his last game in the UK before moving to the NRL, played a prominent role in the final of the 2009 Four Nations tournament, scoring two tries in England's loss to Australia.[11]

South Sydney

Before he had played a game for South Sydney Burgess played prop forward for the NRL All Stars in the inaugural All Stars match after Rabbitohs prop Dave Taylor injured his ankle at training. It was played at Skilled Park on the Gold Coast on February 13, 2010. The NRL All Stars lost the game 16–12.

He was selected to play for England against France in the one-off test in 2010.[12] He gained a spot on the panel hosting The Footy Show.

Burgess was given a one week ban by the NRL judiciary for a grade one grapple tackle. He was placed on report during Round 21, against the Canterbury Bulldogs, for a grapple tackle made on Canterbury fullback Ben Barba. Burgess will miss the Round 22 clash against Wests Tigers. This suspension has come at a fairly pivotal time in the season, with forwards Michael Crocker, Luke Stuart, Scott Geddes, and Dave Taylor all ruled out from the clash (and many ahead) already.[13]

Burgess continued to represent England at the end of the season in the 2010 Four Nations tournament.

His shoulder was injured in the first game of the 2011 NRL season against the Roosters on 11 March, for which he needed surgery and a month of rest. However, as soon as he came back from that, he injured his ankle and is out for the remainder of 2011.

In August 2013, the Burgess brothers became the first set of four brothers to line up in the same Australian side since Ray, Roy, Rex and Bernard Norman played for Sydney's Annandale club in the 1910 NSWRFL season.[14]

Slammin' Sam Burgess

Sam was in a DVD about his life called 'Slammin' Sam: The Sam Burgess Story'[15]

References

  1. ↑ Stott, Julie (6 October 2010). "England Four Nations Pen Pics". News of the World (UK: News Group Newspapers Ltd.). Retrieved 6 October 2010. 
  2. ↑ Aldred, Tanya (19 September 2012). "Burgess rugby clan in different league to the Brownlee brothers". The Telegraph. Retrieved 20 September 2012. 
  3. ↑ Irvine, Christopher (26 October 2007). "Sam Burgess inspired by memory of late father". The Times Online. Retrieved 17 September 2009. 
  4. ↑ http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/entertainment/sydney-confidential/meet-the-magnificent-mrs-burgess/story-fni0cvc9-1226690449682
  5. ↑ "Bulls snap up Burgess twins". Halifax Evening Courier. 17 January 2008. Retrieved 17 September 2009. 
  6. ↑ Wilson, Andy (2013-03-05). "Super League Set of Six: Sonny Bill Williams's return rocks Australia". Guardian. Retrieved 2013-05-17. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Jackson, Ed (2009-09-30). "South Sydney land highly-rated English forward Sam Burgess". Fox Sports. Retrieved 2013-05-17. 
  8. ↑ "Deacon pulls out of England squad". BBC. 2008-09-16. Retrieved 2008-10-03. 
  9. ↑ Walter, Brad (30 September 2009). "Souths sign England star". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 30 September 2009. 
  10. ↑ Laybourn, Ian (2009). "BURGESS – CROWE CLINCHED SOUTHS DEAL". sportinglife.com (365 Media Group Ltd). Retrieved 2009-10-29. 
  11. ↑ Lawrenson, David (2009-11-14). "Billy Slater helps himself as Australia outclass brave England". guardian.co.uk (UK: Guardian News and Media Limited). Retrieved 2009-11-25. 
  12. ↑ Hadfield, Dave (2010-06-13). "Widdop passes his first Test at a canter". The Independent (UK: Independent Print Limited). Retrieved 2010-07-08. 
  13. ↑ http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/sam-burgess-facing-two-weeks-suspended-for-grapple-tackle-on-ben-barba/story-e6frexnr-1225900077130
  14. ↑ "Rugby league history as FOUR English brothers star for Russell Crowe's side". Mirror. 30 August 2013. Retrieved 19 October 2013. 
  15. ↑ http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/tender-side-of-sam-burgess-and-his-family-revealed-in-new-documentary-slammin-sam/story-fni3gki8-1226727803734

External links

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