Rabbitos great Sam Burgess has broken his silence after being cleared by the NRL of domestic violence allegations raised by his former wife.
“I stand strongly against violence towards women. It has no place in society, no place in sport, no place in my life,” Burgess said in a statement posted to his Instagram on Friday.
“I am thankful the NRL has finally cleared my name against all allegations of domestic violence. I have now been cleared of three very public and defamatory investigations.
“This has been a long and damaging process, taking a toll on me both physically and mentally.”
Burgess went on to say he did not agree with some aspects of the breach notice issued by the NRL and had discussed his appeal rights with his lawyers.
However, Burgess said he wanted to let the matter rest and move on with his life.
A path has been paved for Burgess to return to the NRL after the game’s governing body cleared him of any wrongdoing.
Burgess was stood down from position as an assistant coach at South Sydney in October 2020 after his ex-wife Phoebe Burgess made allegations of domestic violence and drug use.
The former Rabbitohs great denied all allegations and any wrongdoing.
Police last year cleared Burgess following a year-long investigation into allegations outlined in explosive media reports.
The NRL on Friday finalised a separate integrity unit investigation and issued him with a three-month suspension.
Burgess, who retired in 2019 due to injury, has been absent from the Rabbitohs coaching staff for 15 months and the decision would allow him to return if he chose.
“Burgess breached the NRL’s rules by taking illicit drugs in 2018, threatening another rugby league player in 2018 and breaching NSW law in February 2021 by driving a motor vehicle with traces of an illicit drug in his system,” the NRL said in a statement.
The NRL did not find the available evidence was sufficient to support allegations that Burgess had engaged in domestic violence. A number of allegations concerning Burgess’ personal relationships did not relate to the NRL’s rules.
“Burgess, who stood himself down from club duties in October 2020, will be permitted to count his stand down as time served and will therefore be entitled to resume his duties, should he so desire.”
He was handed a three-month suspension and $30,000 fine in relation to allegations he was involved in a heated exchange with Sydney Roosters player Billy Smith and stood outside his home.
It was reported by the Australian that Burgess confronted Smith in the playing tunnel following a match and accused him of being involved in leaking to the media information about a sexting scandal he was embroiled in.
He also famously served a one-game ban for pulling Smith’s hair during a game.
Burgess was also reprimanded by the NRL for driving offences after he was caught behind the wheel with cocaine in his system.
Burgess in May last year escaped having a conviction recorded against his name after he was pulled over in the Southern Highlands in April last year.
He was charged with driving without a licence, using an unregistered vehicle and drug driving.
The latest development would allow him to return to the Rabbitohs coaching staff under first-year coach Jason Demetriou however he has taken up a head coaching position with the Orara Valley Axemen, near Coffs Harbour, in the NSWRL division two competition.
The Rabbitohs were fined $20,000 for failing to advise the NRL in a prompt time period of the allegations made against Burgess.
However, they concluded there was not enough evidence to sustaxjmtzywin allegations they had covered up his alleged illicit drug use and the abuse of prescription drugs.
Police launched an investigation into the domestic violences allegations made against Burgess after being made aware of a 50-page statement prepared by Ms Burgess.
However after a 12-month investigation said that: “Following extensive inquiries, no further police action is expected to be taken.”
The allegations emerged amid the context of Mr Burgess being charged with intimidating his ex-partner’s father Mitchell Hooke.
Mr Burgess was last year convicted of intimidating Mr Hooke before he successfully appealed and overturned the decision a month later.
The father-of-two appeared on reality program SAS Australia and gave an emotional account of his struggles with his family implosion and legal issues.
In an interview on the show, he admitted to falling into a cycle of using drugs and drinking heavily before checking himself into a rehab clinic for four weeks.
He also confirmed previous reports he cheated on his then-wife with a woman in Melbourne, saying he had “embarrassed” Phoebe.
“Just completed 28 days of rehab. Because the last 18 months have been crazy. Everything I touched turned to s***. Decided to get back on my feet, I started coaching again,” Mr Burgess said on SAS.
“We started doing well. I got given the head coaching role. A lot of things were put in the press by my ex-wife and ex father-in-law. And consequently I had to stand down from both roles, so I lost it all again.
“Since then, there’s been a police investigation into me about some behaviour that she’s claimed. I turned to drinking, taking drugs.
“I thought I could manage it but it got to the point where I was pulled over for DUI with drugs in my system which is all over the press again and stops me from seeing my kids again and I just checked myself into rehab.”
