burgess set for sydney league return
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today
Arab Today, arab today
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today

Burgess set for Sydney league return

Arab Today, arab today

Arab Today, arab today Burgess set for Sydney league return

England's centre Sam Burgess
London - Arab Today

England rugby union international Sam Burgess has left Premiership club Bath with immediate effect in order to return to rugby league side South Sydney Rabbitohs, the BBC reported Thursday.
The 26-year-old had two years left on a three-year deal with west country side Bath.

Burgess was a member of the England squad that recently became the first World Cup host nation to exit the tournament in the group stages, with coach Stuart Lancaster criticised for what many saw as his overly rapid promotion into the Test side.

It was only last year, after helping South Sydney win the Australian NRL Grand Final, that Burgess changed codes with the express ambition of playing for England at the World Cup.

If confirmed, the end of his brief spell in union is likely to prove highly embarrassing for both Bath and Lancaster, whose position as England coach is currently being scrutinised as part of a Rugby Football Union review into the team's woeful World Cup campaign.

The BBC report came less than 24 hours after Bath owner Bruce Craig said Burgess would be seeing out the remainder of his contract.

"Sam is with us for the next two years and is under contract," said Craig.

"No one has come in for Sam. At the moment he's with us and is in our (European) Champions Cup squad. We're not in negotiations with anyone."
 'Thick skinned' -

Only last week, Bath coach Mike Ford -- himself a former rugby league player -- was equally adamant Burgess would stay at the Recreation Ground.

"There are no dramas here," said Ford. "Everyone has put two and two together, seen him sitting next to (England rugby league coach) Steve McNamara watching his brother play rugby league."

But McNamara told Britain's talkSPORT radio on Thursday: "I would be very surprised if he (Burgess) doesn't go back to South Sydney.

"He has gone from never playing rugby union in his life to being picked by England. He deserves a lot of credit.

"Sam is very thick skinned. He will have been aware of some of the comments made about him. I don't think the criticism Sam has received will have put him off."

Burgess's selection for the England rugby union side was all the more controversial as despite Bath's preference for playing him as a flank forward, Lancaster deployed him in the back-line position of inside centre.

His inclusion meant far more experienced centre Luther Burrell missed out on a place in the England squad.

Burgess, who only won the first of his five England caps in a World Cup warm-up in August, made three appearances during the tournament proper, but only one start, and failed to make much of an impression.

Veteran Ireland centre Gordon D'Arcy produced a withering critique of his displays in an Irish Times column, accusing Burgess of embarrassing his team-mates and saying he "doesn't know how to play inside centre".

But ex-England centre Will Greenwood, a World Cup-winner in 2003, reacted to news of Burgess's impending departure from the 15-man games by tweeting Thursday: "Am I hearing @SamBurgess8 has left Bath? If so rugby union has let the lad down."

Last month, after leaving Burgess out of his matchday 23 for England's final and 'dead' World Cup pool match against Uruguay, Lancaster said: "I've not had any conversations with him about a move to rugby league at all... My last conversation with him was about him going back to Bath."

Reports in Australia have suggested that the Rabbitohs, whose owner is Oscar-winning actor Russell Crowe, are prepared to re-sign Burgess in a deal worth Aus$1.5 million (£700,000) a year in order to get under the NRL salary cap.

Burgess, whose father died in 2007, is engaged to an Australian journalist.

His three brothers are all playing rugby league in Australia, while their mother, Julie, has been teaching at Sydney's elite Scots College boys school.

Source: AFP

arabstoday
arabstoday

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

burgess set for sydney league return burgess set for sydney league return

 



Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

burgess set for sydney league return burgess set for sydney league return

 



GMT 21:38 2017 Monday ,30 October

Arab coalition to confronting Houthis

GMT 05:09 2017 Wednesday ,20 September

UK to take 130 more lone refugee children in Dubs

GMT 16:27 2011 Thursday ,07 July

More photos come up

GMT 10:49 2016 Monday ,19 September

Greek central banker denies rift with government

GMT 04:51 2017 Saturday ,21 October

EU puts brakes on Macron's Google tax push

GMT 11:35 2017 Friday ,17 March

Bahrain Bourse daily trading report

GMT 20:38 2017 Friday ,24 February

20 terror suspects, including 4 women, arrested

GMT 10:40 2017 Saturday ,29 April

Sudan condemns Paris' terrorist attack

GMT 08:33 2017 Tuesday ,21 November

Hezbollah denies sending arms to regional conflicts

GMT 23:14 2017 Tuesday ,02 May

Deputy premier meets Malaysian counterpart

GMT 10:45 2016 Monday ,25 July

Warner, Marvel wow Comic-Con

GMT 09:17 2017 Monday ,08 May

Macron marches to French presidency
Arab Today, arab today
 
 Arab Today Facebook,arab today facebook  Arab Today Twitter,arab today twitter Arab Today Rss,arab today rss  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2025 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2025 ©

arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
arabstoday, Arabstoday, Arabstoday