BURGESS BOMBSHELL
England’s Rugby World Cup flop accused of drug taking and domestic violence
CONTROVERSIAL former England rugby star Sam Burgess was last night embroiled in extraordinary allegations of drug abuse and domestic violence in Australia.
The 2015 World Cup squad member, 31, stands accused of taking recreational drugs — such as ecstasy and cocaine — and is reported to have assaulted his wife while she was pregnant.
Shocking revelations from The Australian newspaper claim to lay bare the Burgess scandal.
It also accuses members of staff at Australian rugby league club South
Sydney Rabbitohs — owned by Hollywood actor Russell Crowe — of covering up his wild lifestyle. The most damning details surround Burgess’s alleged drug use and violence towards his wife, Phoebe.
The newspaper claims he went on a drug- fuelled bender in November 2018 after which there were such concerns over Burgess’s state that a Rabbitohs medic injected him with tranquilliser to calm him, but wrote the prescription in the name of his father-inlaw, businessman Mitch Hooke, to protect the player’s identity.
On that subject Dr Andrew McDonald, Rabbitohs’ chief medical officer, told the newspaper: ‘I don’t have any comment at this stage.’
The report details how Phoebe Burgess told police she had suffered ‘physical violence as well as emotional and psychological abuse’, adding that her husband made her ‘feel intimidated and scared’. Her father, Hooke, claims he saw Burgess assault his eightmonth pregnant daughter by crushing her and screaming verbal abuse at her, calling her a ‘weak c***’.
Hooke told the newspaper of the alleged incident: ‘His abuse of Phoebe was unprintable. He called her an effing c***. Who calls their wife that? He grabbed her. She was eight months pregnant. It was a really aggressive grab. Phoebe was struggling to get out of what was a very aggressive embrace.’
In further testimony printed by The Australian, Hooke calls Burgess an ‘ aggressive uncontrolled monster’.
The couple broke up in December 2018, weeks after the birth of their son, Billy. Their divorce after four years of marriage was finalised in April. They also have a daughter, Poppy.
A four-month investigation by the newspaper also claims to have uncovered text messages between Burgess’s wife and Crowe, where she details concerns about his alleged use of ‘heavy drugs’ as well as ‘ booze’ and ‘girls on social media’.
In 2018, Burgess was caught up in a scandal when a woman complained to the Rabbitohs that he and other players had sexually harassed her during a video call.
When Burgess found out his wife had been texting Crowe about his well-being, he is said to have fired back, saying in a text: ‘Phoebe why did you message RC saying everything... I am at work today fixing the club and now they think I’m a drug addict. What are you trying to solve here. Such lies.’
The report also alleges that a positive Burgess drug test was filed under a false name to protect him, and claims that club officials were told he was abusing prescriptions, anti-anxiety and sleep-inducing medications.
Burgess joined the Rabbitohs in 2010 when 21, having left Bradford Bulls. In two stints between 2008 and 2019 he played rugby league for England, including at the 2017 World Cup, and in 2007 represented Great Britain. Lured to union in 2014, he joined Bath on a £500,000-a-year contract.
In 2015, he was whisked into Stuart Lancaster’s ill-fated World Cup squad just nine months after his union debut. England failed to get beyond the pool stage of their home tournament. After they crashed out, Burgess quit union and tore up his contract with Bath, returning to Australia and rugby league. He retired last October, but stayed at the Rabbitohs where he is now a coach.
The lawyer acting for Burgess, Mark O’Brien, strongly denied all allegations. ‘The allegations are false and constitute an indefensible defamation against my client,’ Mr O’Brien said.
‘It is apparent sources of the false allegations are those currently in dispute with my client over various issues.’