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'Everything I touched turned to s***': Stunning Sam Burgess video

(Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

Controversial England 2015 World Cup pick Sam Burgess has candidly spoken about how he struggled to come to terms with his retirement as a professional rugby player when arthritis in his shoulder forced him to quit in 2019. Signed by Bath in 2014, Burgess was chosen by Stuart Lancaster for the ill-fated World Cup that saw England eliminated at the pool stages. 

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Not long after, Burgess headed back to take up rugby league again in Australia at the South Sydney Rabbitohs but that return ended painfully two years ago and his life has since spiralled, the 32-year-old losing his marriage and then his coaching job which resulted in him checking into rehab. 

He has now re-emerged to take part in SAS Australia and in a tense, emotional scene in the TV show he stunningly opened up on how difficult things have been, admitting to cheating on his wife, losing access to his kids, getting in trouble with the police, turning to alcohol and drugs, and falling out of work at the Rabbitohs. 

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Matt Dawson and Mike Brown on their favourite rugby memories

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Matt Dawson and Mike Brown on their favourite rugby memories

The six-minute, seven-second clip from the show was riveting TV and the segment ended with Burgess hoping that his appearance will help him in his efforts to re-discover the core values he once had as a person.   

Burgess began by talking about his marriage which was over just as his playing career came to an end. “I didn’t really deal with it,” he admitted. “Two days after I retired I separated in my marriage. I don’t think I was the greatest husband at times. I embarrassed my wife. I had an affair in Melbourne. I was away on tour and regretfully that happened which would have been a tough place for Phoebe to be. 

“I’m not great with managing emotions. Anything to do with my team, myself, stress outside of football, press – I don’t mind that, I can manage it. But when it came to the emotional stuff of losing my two kids, my marriage breaking down and that put pressure on my ex-wife – I didn’t like that. I hated that I’d caused pain for other people that I couldn’t manage.”

Burgess went on to explain he took drastic action when life hit rock bottom earlier this year. “I have actually put myself into rehab for four weeks, 28 days of rehab just because my last 18 months have been crazy. Everything I touched turned to s***. I decided to get back on my feet, started coaching again, we were doing well and I got given a head coaching role. 

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“Then a lot of things were put in the press about my ex-wife and ex-father-in-law. Consequently, I had to stand down from my roles and I lost it all again and since then, there is a police investigation into me about some behaviour she has claimed. In that time I totally lost myself a bit.

“I turned to drinking, taking drugs. I thought I could manage that but it got to a point where I then got pulled DUI with drugs in my system which was all over the press again. I was stopped from seeing my kids again and I just checked myself into rehab… I have lost it all. 

“I am hoping this course is going to help me see a bit deeper inside myself, go back to the core values, to the real person who I am. I have this theory of life that it is peaks and valleys and it’s up and downs and sometimes you just don’t know when the peak is at the top and you don’t know how far down the valley might go.”

Burgess last year reignited the controversy surrounding his inclusion by Lancaster to play for England in midfield at the World Cup, accusing George Ford, the player who lost out on selection versus Wales, of being sulky. When the tournament was over, Burgess returned to Bath, who were coached at the time by George’s father Mike, that he could no longer play for them and a switch back to league was soon agreed. 

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J
JPM 2 hours ago
Forget Ireland, the All Blacks face the real alpha of Europe next

Unfortunately you don't know anything about French rugby, coaches and players but still making a lot of assumptions and judgements to push your prefabricated and simplistic point of view that Dupont is manipulating everything and is a bad guy. I am not a NZ rugby specialist and wouldn't dare make such theories about what is going on within the ABs team. Therefore my advice to you is to do like Dupont and stay humble when you don't know all the background of the issues !!!


Firstly if you knew a bit of Galthié, he is not the type of coach who is going to ask advice to his players and even his captain about team selection. He is as stubborn as you...


Second Ramos has played a lot of times as 10 with Toulouse and therefore Dupont (in particular when Ntamack is injured and unfortunately it has often happened recently and for long periods). He even played 10 during the last 3 games of the 2024 6N and this was far better performance than the first two games with Jalibert as 10.


Thirdly Jalibert lacked of respect to a La Rochelle player so your theory is once again out.


Fourth as I explained to you Galthié went for a 6-2 bench and Jalibert can only play 10 which doesn't fit that plan. Furthermore as 15 Buros is better under high balls than Ramos and everybody is prepared for a tactical kicking game.


So you can blame Galthié for a lot of things (as you clearly enjoy doing at the end of your post and you should be very happy as an AB fan) but certainly not Dupont. Sorry once more for your conspiracy theory.


And don't worry about potential disharmony in the French team; they are excellent mates around their captain. Jalibert is well known in the French rugby circles to have not a strong character (and we saw that in the WC quarter finals as he is very nervous in any decisive international game unlike Ntamack and Ramos as for his late penalty kick vs England this year).


In conclusion enjoy the game tmrw night. It is good that the ABs are very upset; we should watch a great game of rugby. I hope for running rugby and not too much kicking. With 5 key players injured on our side (Ntamack, Baille, Atonio, Cros and Penaud) and 2 on your side I and various French fans see you as favourites. I obviously hope for another result.


If you are interested you can read a good article in the Guardian on the subject of France-NZ games.

92 Go to comments
K
KB 2 hours ago
The 'one difference' between Boks and the back-to-back All Blacks

Consistency hasnt been there they have many great players SA were also not unbeaten in the 2023 WC - NZ were in 2015 WC McCaw and Carter Nonu and Smith - SA did not have those Marque players in those postions in 2019 or 2023 - I wouldnt rank them ahead of the 20I5 ABs - They clocked up 60 points against France in the QF - Furthermore I do not believe for one moment SA won 2023 fairly no way - they were so favoured it became obvious that behind the scenes SA the nation bought the title - Their last 3 matches were won by a solitary point there were many contentious decisions that went their way that it became obvious it wasnt coincidence - Sport has been hijacked by a satanic cult just as is Politics

Some players coaches officials and sponsors are involved - they know who they are - its called Freemasonry - any sport that allows betting is corrupt - its not all about money either for these parasites its also about control - Lots of American NFL players have spoken openly about games being scripted - Football is also rigged Referees have been caught on film showing freemason hand signs - The 95 RWC final ranks as the highest and most obvious attempt at cheating There was no way SA were going to allow NZ to gate crash Nelson Mandelas reunification party - NZ were so good they had to posion almost the entire team to get a 3 point win - a Hollywood Movie ( theres your Red Flag ) was made about SAs triumph called Invictus


William Henley wrote a poem called Invictus


It starts


Out of the night that covers me BLACK ( All Blacks ) as the pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever GODS maybe for my unconquerable Soul ...( Olan says INVICTUS is an evil Malevolent entity who corrupted the Titans ... this is Mandelas double meaning speech ( hes a fraud ) - of thanks for helping overcome SA's adversary NZ - There is only ONE true God Yahuah - Only a false god would be complicit in Cheating Corruption and Harming others to win a RWC for a sick and sinful Nation ) the poem ends with


I am the CAPTAIN of my soul


SA will forever bear the stain of guilt and disgrace over their involvement in poisoning the ABs a day before the 95 RWC Final

13 Go to comments
C
CO 2 hours ago
Forget Ireland, the All Blacks face the real alpha of Europe next

I cannot believe that you don't think the French rugby team coach and captain are not discussing putting Jalibert on the bench in favour of Duponts club teammate that doesn't even play at 10.


This is a terrible, massive insult to a 10 and I'm sure Dupont would also be very enraged if benched for a player that doesn't even play halfback.


A good captain would've insisted to the coach that it was an idea of madness and either select Jalibert or replace him with another 10 if you want him to be reserve.


Jalibert may not be the world's finest tacklers but that's often not a tens main strength that the loose forwards and second five cover. An intercept pass is never great but they happen.


When any player is playing for his club then it's club first, respect doesn't need to be shown to opposition players simply because they're internationals.


Who exactly are you claiming Jalibert hasn't respected? If it's Toulouse international players then it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure this bench demotion out.


The outcome of selecting Jalibert to the bench and he then throwing his croissants out the window of the team bus immediately prior to playing the Allblacks is a disaster that will be team disharmony as any team mates of Jalibert are in a state of anger and revolt so a performance that will be sub optimal against a team that is thirsting for revenge against France.


I don't know about you but the Allblacks are very upset they've lost twice in a row to France and want to put out a statement performance so this preparation by Galthie of creating havoc looks to me like a coach that is clueless.

92 Go to comments
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