'I've not sexted anyone' - Burgess instructs lawyers after being cleared of allegations
Sam Burgess has instructed lawyers to look into defamation after he was cleared of sexting allegations following an investigation by his Australian NRL club South Sydney Rabbitohs.
It had been alleged that his Facebook Messenger account had been used to send graphic images to a 23-year-old woman.
In a statement the Rabbitohs said:”After being informed of the matter, the Club committed to investigate the complaint in consultation and co-operation with the NRL Integrity Unit. It appointed a panel consisting of Commissioner Lea Drake (Independent), Karyn Murphy (NRL Integrity Unit), Nick Pappas (Rabbitohs Chairman), Emily Grant (Rabbitohs Head of Operations, People and Culture) and Blake Solly (Rabbitohs Chief Executive Officer) to investigate and report upon the complaint.
“Representatives of the Panel interviewed South Sydney players and staff. The Complainant was interviewed privately by Ms Murphy. The Complainant declined to be interviewed by the Panel, and did not want her identity disclosed, which the Club has respected. The Panel has also reviewed all available documentary material.
“Based on a thorough review of the available evidence before it, the Panel was not satisfied that any South Sydney player engaged in any actionable misconduct resulting in a breach of their NRL Playing Contract, the NRL Rules or the SSFC Code of Conduct.”
Burgess who played at the 2015 Rugby World Cup for England under Stuart Lancaster has subsequently taken to social media after being cleared of wrongdoing.
“I have not sexted anyone. I fully cooperated with the inquiry as I said I would. I have engaged lawyer Chris Murphy to pursue my remedies and he has retained defamation lawyers.
“I have given a full account to the Inquiry and answered every questioned asked. It’s now in Mr Murphy’s hands. The next move is up to him. I have nothing more to say at this stage.”
I have not sexted anyone. I fully cooperated with the inquiry as I said I would. I have engaged lawyer Chris Murphy to pursue my remedies and he has retained defamation lawyers.
— Sam Burgess (@SamBurgess8) September 21, 2018
I have given a full account to the Inquiry and answered every questioned asked. It’s now in Mr Murphy’s hands. The next move is up to him. I have nothing more to say at this stage.
— Sam Burgess (@SamBurgess8) September 21, 2018
The Rugby League Players’ Association has also reacted to the furore surrounding the allegations and subsequent findings of the investigation.
“The RLPA acknowledge and support South Sydney’s decision that no player breached their NRL Playing Contract, the NRL Rules or the SSFC Code of Conduct,” said an RLPA spokesperson.
“We also commend the club on the thorough review that it undertook and the expert panel that oversaw the process.
“We were disappointed by the decision to publish certain images in this case and some of the public commentary before all of the circumstances were known, particularly given the sensitive nature of the allegations.
“We also have concerns about the public disclosure of confidential information during the investigation – that is unacceptable.
“Regardless of the nature of the investigation, fair process demands that confidentiality is maintained, and that all parties and the process itself are respected.
“When information is leaked, or people jump to conclusions, it can be extremely damaging not only for the individuals involved, but the game of Rugby League as a whole. There is no integrity in such actions.
“We will continue working with all of the relevant parties to address these concerns.”
Burgess had always been defiant over the allegations, speaking to the media earlier this week he said: “I’m not running away or hiding. I’m here to tell you there is an inquiry going on and until then I can’t talk about it.”
“I’m not angry. What hurts me the most is seeing my wife upset about what’s out there.”
“I’m completely happy to be going through the process. I’ve been open and honest with everything. Hopefully, it’s resolved quickly”.
Papparazi had reportedly been surrounding his home since the story broke and when asked about it on Tuesday the 29-year-old said: “I just want to protect my family in this whole thing. I’ve got a wife. I’ve got a daughter. My wife’s heavily pregnant. I just want them to be safe and happy. In my current situation at home there’s just no chance of that.”
“With respect to my wife, my family, my wife’s family, it’s been a tough process to go through, the family together,” he said.
“I’m fortunate that I’ve got a strong wife. I’ve got a wife who loves me. I’ve got great family. I’ve got great friends. Great support around me to help me through these allegations that have been made. It’s been a tricky few days.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Australian Rugby has been a disaster, by not incorporating learning from previous successful campaigns. QLD Reds 2011 - Waratahs 2014. Players, coaches and administrators appoint there representatives for scheduled meetings, organisation’s agreement’s assessments and correspondence. This why a unified Rugby Union under one entity works. Every Rugby nation has taken that path. Was most difficult in the Northern hemisphere with over 100 years of club rugby before the game become professional. Took a lot of humility for those unions to eventually work together.
7 Go to commentsThough Wilson’s sacking was pretty brutal, it wasn’t just down to that Leinster game; Glasgow had a lot of 2nd half collapses that season, in the URC and Europe, and only just scraped into the playoffs. Franco Smith has definitely been an improvement, some players are delivering far more than they did under Wilson.
1 Go to commentsjesus - that front 5!
1 Go to commentsShould be an absolute cracker of a game! Will be great to see DuPont & Ntamack in tandem once again🔥
1 Go to commentsBest team ever…. To have played? These guys are still pressure chokers. Came nowhere when it counted. What a joke
69 Go to commentsMusk defends anonymous terrorism, fascism, threats against individuals and children etc etc But a Rugby club account….lock ‘em up!!!
1 Go to commentsActually the era defining moment came a few years earlier. February 2002 to be precise, when Michael D Higgins as finance minister at the time introduced his sports persons tax relief bill to the dial. As the politicians of the day stated “It seems to be another daft K Club frolic born in Kildare amongst the well-paid professional jockeys with whom the Minister plays golf” and that the scheme represented “a savage uncaring vision of Ireland and one that should be condemned”. The irfu and Leinster would be nowhere near the position they are in today without this key component of the finances.
2 Go to commentsIt is crystal clear that people who make such threats on line should be tried and imprisoned. Those with responsibility in social media companies who don’t facilitate this should be convicted. In real life, I have free speech to approach someone like Reinach and verbally threaten him. I am risking a conviction or a slap but I could do it. In the old days, If someone anonymously threatened someone by letter the police would ask and use evidence from the postal system. Unlike the Post, social media companies have complete instant and legal access to the content in social media. They make money from the data, billions. Yet, they turn a blind eye to terrorism, Nazi-ism and industrial levels of threats against individuals including their address and childrens schools being published online all from ananoymous accounts not real people. They claim free speech. Free speech for anonymous trolls/voilent thugs threatening people under false names? The fault is with the perps but also social media companies who think anonymous personas posting death threats constitutes free speech.
2 Go to commentsSo if this ain’t the best Irish team ever then who exactly is? I don’t remember any other Irish team being this good & winning a series in the Land of the Long White Cloud. Yes I may rip them often for 8 X QF RWC exits & twice not even making it to the QF, but they’re a damn good team who many think can only improve, including me!
69 Go to commentsNot a squeek out of Leinster for weeks about this match. So quiet. The first team have been quitely building for this encounter under Nienaber’s direction. All fresh, all highly motivated. They are expecting a season’s best performance from Northhampton. They will match that. They will be fresher and apparently they will have 80,000 out of the 83,000 shouting for them. I do expect Northhampton to turn up big time. Not to be missed. On a tangent it is evident how the loss of a few Premiership teams has in some respect helped other Premiership teams and England. More quality over less teams makes the teams better, which has a knock on effect on England. Not the only factor contributing to England’s rise but one of them.
2 Go to commentsOur very own monster teddy bear Ox😍💪
17 Go to commentsThis is might be the most generalised, entitled, patronising, out-of-pocket cultural indictment on a group of people you’ll ever see on what is supposedly a sports publication. I can only assume the author is weak like a woman or homosexual. I’m feeling an incredible range of emotions but I am not quite sure how to express them. I might go beat up a hockey player - assuming that’s okay with Duane and the boys? 🙂
9 Go to commentsBest thing the Welsh clubs could do is apply to join Gallagher prem surely be more exciting matches for there support than they have now.
2 Go to commentsRugbyPass writers are useless! you guys should get a real job because you all suck at writing about rugby!!!
9 Go to commentslooking forward to RWC2027 …. Boks on mission impossible for the Three-in-a-row, ABs to prove they being on par, France wishing to crown the “DuPont-era”, Ireland knocking on the Semi-Door ….. until then we’ll probably have to deal with Weird Ben’s fantasy-RWC23 (fun fact is, the drivel always creates a flooding of comments) …..
221 Go to commentsBen Smith you really make some good points in this article, the Springboks were not close to perfect and good still beat the All Blacks, imagine if they were as good as they were against France what a hiding the All Blacks would have gotten… maybe another Twickenham drubbing
221 Go to commentsIt is a good argument to keep the Rebels for one more year but also isnt this just opening the door as well for keeping them beyond 2025. If they can create some sort of financial stability in the next year and if their performances lift as they have this season then how would RA even cull them after that? It might be the most cost effective decision at this stage and perhaps many people are guilty of keeping relationships going because of the cost to decouple but then again when does that ever work out well?
29 Go to commentsDear Ben Smith you are a genius! God please become the next all blacks coach that can take on the mighty BOKS. Your rugby acumen is second to none - imagine your dads sperm bounced as unfortunately as that oval ball did….we would not be blessed with your presence. Just as the all blacks were missing a man you too are missing a chromosome for 80% of your life, so your insights are not only profound but ring true from your own experiences. Just as the TMO interfered with citing an illegal pass I am sure your local authorities interfere with your illegal passes you make on women - How dare they!!! God forbid that rugby be officiated fairly. You are the right man for the job. Next all blacks coach is here ladies and gentlemen Miss Ben Smith (He/She/They/IT)
221 Go to commentsHuge engine this guy and great to see him back ..The amount of clean outs he does at the ruck are ridiculous !!
3 Go to commentsThe level of desperation in this article is just embarrassing.
221 Go to comments