Sam Burgess is preparing to lead Warrington Wolves in the Super League Grand Final, capping a turbulent decade that included a sexting scandal, an affair that ended his marriage, and a police arrest.
The 37-year-old, one of the finest rugby league players of his generation, transitioned to coaching after retiring from playing. He took charge of Warrington in 2023, guiding the club to a third-placed finish in his first season and then to the Challenge Cup final the following year, where they lost to Hull KR. Now he aims to end the Wolves' 71-year wait for a title, with shock finalists Wakefield Wildcats standing in their way.
Sexting scandal and affair
In 2018, while playing for South Sydney Rabbitohs, Burgess was involved in an alleged sexting scandal after claims he sent lewd pictures to a woman on Facebook. The allegation prompted an investigation by his club and Australia's National Rugby League, whose integrity unit interviewed the woman. She declined to be interviewed by a five-person club panel, and Burgess was eventually cleared of any wrongdoing. Facing the media emotionally, he thanked his then-wife Phoebe and family for their support and said he was "happy for the truth to come out".
In 2021, Burgess spoke of his "embarrassment" as he owned up to cheating on Phoebe. During an appearance on SAS Australia, he told host Ant Middleton: "I embarrassed my wife and had an affair with a girl, a woman, in Melbourne. That's true. I was away on tour and regretfully it happened. It would have been a tough place for Phoebe to be." The affair led to his break-up with Phoebe, with whom he has two children, Poppy and Billy. He added: "When it came to emotional stuff – losing my two kids after seeing them every day, my marriage breakdown – that put pressure on my ex-wife. I didn't like that. I hate that I caused pain for other people that I couldn't manage."
Arrest and rehab
After the separation, an apprehended violence order was taken out against Burgess on behalf of his then father-in-law, Mitchell Hooke. Burgess was found guilty of intimidation but later had his conviction overturned on appeal.
Burgess went off the rails after being forced to retire from playing in 2019 due to septic arthritis in his left shoulder. By that point, he had started coaching with the Rabbitohs but stepped down amid scrutiny of his private life and personal struggles. In early 2021, he was arrested by police for driving an unregistered vehicle, driving without a valid licence and failing a roadside drug test. He told Middleton: "I was coaching and we started to do well. But a lot of things were put in the press by my ex-wife and ex-father-in-law. Consequently, I had to stand down from both my roles, so I lost it all again."
"Since then, there was a police investigation into me about some behaviour that she has claimed. In that time, I totally lost myself a bit. I turned to drinking, I was taking drugs. It got to the point where I got pulled [over by police] with drugs in my system. It was all over the press again and she stopped me seeing my kids again. I checked myself into rehab. I have lost it all."
New wife, new life
Away from his coaching career, things are looking up for Burgess, who married his new wife, Lucy, in Rome in 2024. The couple, who have two children, are expecting their third early next year.
Meanwhile, ex-wife Phoebe recently revealed she hasn't dated anyone since breaking up with Burgess and intends to keep his name. She told the Something To Talk About show: "My life isn't overly app attractive. What photo would I pick? The kids and me at school drop-off? Me at an event? There's not one photo. I would judge any man who would click on my profile, put it that way. I would really ask questions. And then the bio: 37, divorced, everyone knows about it. Uh, two children. I don't get weekends off, ever, so you'll have to work around that. And I live at home [with her parents]. There's nothing appealing in that."
