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'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.
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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.
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“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.
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“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
He was in such great form. Sad for him but only a short term injury and it will be great to see him back for the finals.
1 Go to commentsAfter their 5/0 start, I had the Crusaders to finish Top 4 only…they lost the plot in Perth but will reload and back themselves vs 4th placed Rebels…
3 Go to commentsBoth nations missed a great opportunity to book a game that would have had a lot of interest from around the world. I understand these games can’t be organised in 5 minutes but they should have found a way to make it happen. I don’t think Wales are ducking anyone but it’s a bad look haha.
3 Go to commentsIt will be fascinating to see the effect that Jo Yapp has. If they can compete with Canada and give BFs a run for their money that will be progress
1 Go to commentsFollowing his dream and putting in the work. Go well young fella!
3 Go to commentsPerhaps filling Twickenham is one of Mitchell’s KPIs. I doubt whether both September matches will be at Twickenham on consecutive weekends. I would take the BF one to a large provincial stadium so as not to give them the advantage and experience of playing at Twickenham before a large crowd prior to the RWC.
3 Go to commentsvery unfortunate for Kitshoff, but big opportunity potentially for Nché to prove he is genuinely the best loosehead in the world, rather than just a specialist finisher. Presuming that if Kitshoff is out, it will also give Steenekamp a chance to come into the 23? Or are others likely to be ahead of him?
1 Go to commentsA long held question in popular culture asks if art imitates life or does the latter influence the former? Over this 6 nations I can ask the same question of the media influencing the thoughts of its audience or vice versa. Nobody wants to see cricket scores in rugby, as a spectacle it is not sustainable. With so many articles about England’s procession and lack of competition it feeds the epicaricacy of many looking for an opportunity to pounce. England are not the first team to dominate nor does it happen only in rugby, think Federer, Nadal, Red Bull or Mercedes, Manchester Utd, Australia in tests and World Cups. Instead of celebrating the achievements why find reasons to falsify it pointing towards larger playing pool, professional for a longer period or mitigate with the lack of growth in other nations. Can we not enjoy it while it is here and know that it won’t last for ever, others coveting what England have will soon take the crown, ask the aforementioned?
6 Go to commentsShame he won’t turn out for the Netherlands now they’re improving. U20s are Euro champs and in the U20 Trophy this year. The senior sides gets better every year too.
3 Go to commentsWill rugbypass tv be showing these games?
1 Go to commentsWell where do you start, the fact that England have a professional domestic league and Ireland’s is fully amatuer, that they have fully seperated professional squads at Fifteens and Sevens (7’s thinly disguised as GB), and Ireland have fully pro Sevens squad who loan some players back to the Semi-Professional Fifteens squad (moved from amateur for only a year or so) for a few games at 6N & RWC’s. The Women’s games is a shambles, and is at risk of killing itself by pushing for professionalism when the market isn’t really there to support it outside one or two countnries..
6 Go to commentsWayne Smith's input didn't have as much impact on the last final as Davison's red card for Thompson. England were 14 points up and flying when that happened.
6 Go to commentsBilly's been playing consistently well for 2 - 3 seasons now and deserves a look in at the top level. Ioane and ALB are still first choice but there needs to be injury cover and succession. His partnership with Jordie gives him first dibs you'd think. Go the Hurricanes.
3 Go to commentsIt’s not up to Wales to support Georgian Rugby. That’s up to International Rugby and Georgia. I sympathise with Georgia’s decent attempt to create this fixture. But for Wales the proposed match up is just a potential stick to beat them with and a potential big psychological blow that young Welsh team doesn’t need. (I’m Irish BTW.)
3 Go to commentsCale certainly looks great in space, but as you say, he has struggled in contact. At 23 years old, turning 24 this year, he should be close to full physical maturity and yet there exists a considerable gap in the power and physicality required for international rugby. Weight doesn’t automatically equate to power and physicality either. Can he go from a player who’s being physically dominated in Super rugby to physically dominating in international rugby in 1 or 2 years? That’s a big ask but he may end up being a late bloomer.
36 Go to commentsIf rugby wants to remain interesting in the AI era then it will need to work on changing the rules. AI will reduce the tactical advantage of smart game plans, will neutralize primary attacking weapons, and will move rugby from a being a game of inches to a game of millimetres. It will be about sheer athleticism and technique,about avoiding mistakes, and about referees. Many fans will find that boring. The answer is to add creative degrees of freedom to the game. The 50-22 is an example. But we can have fun inventing others, like the right to add more players for X minutes per game, or the equivalent of the 2-point conversion in American football, the ability to call a 12-player scrum, etc. Not saying these are great ideas, but making the point that the more of these alternatives you allow, the less AI will be able to lock down high-probability strategies. This is not because AI does not have the compute power, but because it has more choices and has less data, or less-specific data. That will take time and debate, but big, positive and immediate impact could be in the area of ref/TMO assistance. The technology is easily good enough today to detect forward passes, not-straight lineouts, offside at breakdown/scrum/lineout, obstruction, early/late tackles, and a lot of other things. WR should be ultra aggressive in doing this, as it will really help in an area in which the game is really struggling. In the long run there needs to be substantial creativity applied to the rules. Without that AI (along with all of the pro innovations) will turn rugby into a bash fest.
24 Go to commentsSouth Africa rarely play Ireland and France on these tours. Mostly, England, Scotland and Wales. I wonder why
2 Go to commentsIt was a let’s-see-what-you're-made-of type of a game. The Bulls do look good when the opposition allows them to, but Munster shut them down, and they could not find a way through. Jake should be very worried about their chances in the competition.
2 Go to commentsHats off to Fabian for a very impressive journey to date. Is it as ‘uniquely unlikely’ as Rugby Pass suggests, given Anton Segner’s journey at the Blues?
3 Go to commentsSad that this was not confirmed. When administrators talk about expanding the game they evidently don’t include pathways to the top tier of rugby for teams outside of the old boys club. Rugby deserves better, and certainly Georgia does.
3 Go to comments