Sam Burgess

Samuel Burgess (born 14 December 1988) is an English professional rugby league coach who is the head coach of the Warrington Wolves in the Betfred Super League, and former professional rugby league footballer who played as a or forward in the 2000s and 2010s.

He played in England for the Bradford Bulls in the Super League and in Australia for the South Sydney Rabbitohs in the NRL.

Burgess was born on 14 December 1988 in Liversedge, Kirklees, West Yorkshire, England.

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; while his mother, Julie, is a teacher, currently employed at The Scots College in Bellevue Hill, Sydney.

His older brother, Luke, and younger twin brothers, Tom and George, are also professional rugby league footballers.

He attended Heckmondwike Grammar School.

He played his junior rugby for Hunslet Parkside, Dewsbury Moor and also played for Liversedge Cricket Club.

Burgess made his Super League début against Leeds in 2006 after already being dubbed by Shontayne Hape as "Great Britain's Sonny Bill".

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 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 the 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 Kiwis' 2007 tour when he was only 19 years old.

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.

In September 2009, the South Sydney Rabbitohs announced they had signed Burgess on a four-year deal from the 2010 season.

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 defeat by Australia.

Before he had played a game for South Sydney Burgess played for the NRL All Stars in the inaugural All Stars match after Rabbitohs prop Dave Taylor injured his ankle at training.

Burgess, on contract at the Bradford Bulls until the end of the 2010 season, was released after the clubs agreed on a compensation fee.

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.

It was played at Skilled Park on the Gold Coast on 13 February 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.

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 therefore missed the Round 22 clash against Wests Tigers.

This suspension came at a fairly pivotal time in the season, as forwards Michael Crocker, Luke Stuart, Scott Geddes, and Dave Taylor had all been ruled out from the clash already.

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 during the 1910 NSWRFL season.

That year, Burgess was banned for two games following his infamous "squirrel grip" on Will Chambers – where Chambers's testicles were grabbed during a game.

Sam was in a DVD about his life called 'Slammin' Sam: The Sam Burgess Story' After the 2013 NRL season Burgess represented England in the 2013 World Cup.

The Rabbitohs won the 2014 NRL Premiership, the club's first in 43 years, and Burgess was named winner of the Clive Churchill Medal for man of the match in the Grand Final.

he played for Great Britain and England at international level.

In late 2014, Burgess switched codes to play rugby union for Bath.

On 17 February 2014, it was announced that at the end of the year, Burgess would switch to rugby union.

He was called up to the England national team in August 2015, becoming a dual-code international, and was a member of England's squad for their unsuccessful 2015 Rugby Union World Cup campaign, before returning to rugby league for the 2016 NRL season.

On 30 October 2019, Burgess announced his retirement due to a shoulder injury.

Burgess, also known by the nickname of "Slammin' Sam", is one of four rugby league-playing brothers; younger Brother Tom plays for the Rabbitohs, with his twin brother George retiring at the end of 2022 after playing for the South Sydney Rabbitohs, Wigan Warriors and the St George-Illawarra Dragons, while older brother Luke retired after playing in England and Australia.