2. International

7 things you may not know about Sam Burgess

21 January 2015 04:01

Sam Burgess, chosen to play for England Saxons, has become a household name for his exploits on the rugby field, but Press Association Sport uncovers a few facts about the Yorkshireman that may catch the eye.

1. He was courted, along with his star-struck mother Julie, by Hollywood actor and South Sydney co-owner Russell Crowe while the Gladiator star was on set in Derbyshire filming for the Robin Hood movie.

Russell Crowe on the set of Robin Hood
Russell Crowe on the set of Robin Hood (Zak Hussein/PA)

2. He and older brother Luke acted as carers for their father Mark, a one-time player with Hunslet and Nottingham, during the latter days of his unsuccessful battle with motor neurone disease. On his arrival in Sydney, Sam was reduced to tears when Crowe presented him with a Souths membership in his father’s name.

3. His mother Julie, adopting the principle of ‘if you can’t beat them, join them’, took up rugby league and played for Yorkshire Ladies.

4. In 2012 he dated Australian singer and X Factor star Joelle Hadjia and remains close friends with Emmerdale actor Kelvin Fletcher.

Joelle Hadjia at a Transformers screening
Joelle Hadjia (Richard Milnes/Demotix/PA)

5. He played two games of rugby union at fly-half for Halifax club Old Brodleians at the age of 15, before committing himself to Bradford Bulls.

Sam Burgess playing for Bradford Bulls
Sam Burgess in his Bradford days (Gareth Copley/PA)

6. Nicknamed ‘Slamming Sam’ for his trademark crunching tackles first illustrated when he put hard-running forward Fuifui Moimoi on his backside while playing for Great Britain against New Zealand. He was 18 at the time.

7. After an England World Cup game in 2013, he responded to a request from female fan Lyndsey Cunnett to hand over his shorts and promptly conducted a BBC interview in his underpants.

Source: SNAPPA