Sam Burgess has opened up on his court cases with his ex-wife Phoebe and her father, claiming that ‘he chose to remain quiet and not play their game’.
The former NRL star added that while battling through both cases was ‘tough’, he admitted he ‘wasn’t perfect’.
The 36-year-old also revealed that he would one day like to return to his children in Australia and coach again in the NRL but is fearful of the ‘scrutiny’ he will receive.
The English rugby league star earned huge fame in Australia after playing a pivotal role in helping the South Sydney Rabbitohs clinch their first NRL title in 43 years in 2014. He notably etched his name in NRL folklore after playing out the Grand Final with a fractured eye socket and shattered cheekbone.
But off the field, Burgess endured a difficult period towards the end of his playing career, after he and his first wife, Phoebe, separated in 2019. The pair have two children, Poppy and Billy.
The footy star had been accused of domestic violence by his ex-wife and was separately charged with intimidating his former father-in-law, Mitchell Hooke.
Rugby league great Sam Burgess has opened up on his court case with his ex-wife and her father-in-law and spoken out on a potential move back to Australia
Burgess, pictured with ex-wife Phoebe in happier times, was cleared of allegations of domestic abuse back in 2021
Burgess (right) was also cleared of intimidating his father-in-law Mitchell Hooke (left) following an appeal
Burgess had a conviction of intimidating Mr Hooke overturned on appeal in 2021.
He was also later cleared of any wrongdoing in relation to the domestic abuse allegations made by his ex-wife, following a year-long investigation.
Reflecting on the period, Burgess, who would also swap codes to join Bath and turn out for England at the 2015 Rugby World Cup, told The Guardian: ‘It was tough, the labels put on me and I don’t wish it on anyone. But I chose to remain quiet and not play their game… I was cleared.’
He added: ‘I wasn’t perfect and I made errors. But I took some responsibility for that and you move forward.’
The Yorkshireman now lives back in the United Kingdom and has married his teenage sweetheart Lucy Graham. The pair also have a young daughter who was born in 2023.
Having worked as an assistant head coach with the Rabbitohs, Burgess was axed by the club in 2023 after reports claimed that the Brit had clashed with head coach Jason Demetriou.
He subsequently joined up with the Warrington Wolves in the Super League as their head coach but admits living 10,000 miles away from his children, Poppy and Billy has been difficult.
‘It’s tough and that’s the hardest part of my job – I’m not around my older kids, Poppy and Billy, as often as I wish,’ the former loose forward said.
The rugby league star (left) and Pheobe (right) split in 2019, with the Englishman stating that the period during the court cases was ‘tough’
The footy star would go on to be one of the most revered figures in the NRL, helping South Sydney break a 43-year wait for a premiership – doing so with a shattered cheekbone
He would take up a coaching role with the Rabbitohs but was axed by the club after falling out with Jason Demetriou
‘But I speak to them often and I was back with them in the off-season, which was great. That’s part of the price I had to pay to be here, and I have to make the best of the situation.’
Reflecting on darts star Luke Littler’s recent rise to fame, Burgess recounted he felt ‘hunted’ at times during his career in Australia, with the watchful eye of the media and adoring fans following him around.
When pressed on whether he would take up a coaching role in the NRL again, the 36-year-old admitted that he was hopeful he could one day return but added he was fearful of the ‘scrutiny’ he might receive.
‘I don’t have a timeframe and I’m really enjoying what I do here,’ he said.
‘But I miss my kids and I would like to be there in the not-too-distant future. But there’s so much scrutiny over there and I’d been under the watchful eye for the last 15 years.
‘I just wasn’t ready to go back into it [as an NRL coach]. But I was ready to be head coach so that’s why being in Warrington is probably the perfect scenario – apart from leaving Poppy and Billy over there.
‘But I know my kids want me to be successful and make a difference and doing well here will get me to the end route quicker.’
When pressed on whether he feels the glare on him will have waned in the time he has been absent from Australia, Burgess said: ‘I don’t know. We were back there recently and nothing had changed.’
Burgess recently married partner Lucy Graham (left) and the pair have a baby together
Burgess says he is deliberating a move back to Australia to coach in the NRL but for the time being is ‘happy’ at Warrington
Since joining Warrington last August, the former England star guided the Super League side to the final of the Challenge Cup.
They were defeated by Wigan at Wembley, with Burgess also leading the side to a third-place finish in the Super League.
The footy club will begin their 2025 season against Huddersfield Giants at the John Smith’s stadium.
They will later take on Wigan at the Allegiant Stadium in the Las Vegas round.
