George Burgess

George Burgess (born 21 April 1992) is an English former professional rugby league footballer who last played as a for the Cairns Brothers in the Cairns District Rugby League.

Burgess was born on 21 April 1992 in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire.

His father, Mark Burgess who died of Motor neurone disease, was also a rugby league footballer who played for Nottingham City, Rochdale Hornets, Dewsbury and Hunslet; while his mother, Julie, is a teacher, currently employed at The Scots College in Bellevue Hill, Sydney.

His eldest brother Luke, middle brother Sam, and elder twin brother Tom, are all professional rugby league footballers as well.

Burgess attended Castle Hall Academy to receive a secondary education before becoming a professional rugby league footballer.

His twin brother Tom Burgess, and older brothers Sam Burgess and Luke Burgess are also professional rugby league players where they all played for the South Sydney Rabbitohs.

He was married to Joanna King for many years.

They split up in May 2023.

In 2023 he played a minor role of a bouncer in the Aussie Christmas film Christmess.

George represented England against the Australian Schoolboys in 2010 while playing lower grades and training with the full squad of the Bradford Bulls.

On 1 January 2011 George was signed by the South Sydney Rabbitohs to play in the National Youth Competition and NRL in the future.

In Round 13 of the 2012 NRL season, Burgess made his NRL début for the South Sydney Rabbitohs against the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs off the interchange bench in the Rabbitohs 23–18 loss at ANZ Stadium.

Burgess played 3 matches for South Sydney in his début year in the NRL in the 2012 NRL season.

In the 2013 NRL season Round 1 season opening match against the Sydney Roosters, Burgess scored his first NRL career try in South Sydney's 28–10 win at SFS.

After South Sydney's 30–24 victory over the Gold Coast Titans at Barlow Park in Cairns in Round 14, Burgess was stood down three weeks for smashing a car window with a street sign in Cairns, In June 2013, a naked leaked selfie of Burgess was posted on social media.

In August 2013, in Round 25 against the Wests Tigers the Burgess brothers became the first set of four brothers to line up in the same Australian side since Ray, Roy, Rex and Bernard Norman played for Sydney's Annandale club in the 1910 NSWRFL season.

The brothers played in the Rabbitohs 32–18 win at SFS.

Burgess finished South Sydney's 2013 NRL season with him playing in 24 matches and scoring seven tries.

On 1 October 2013, Burgess was named the 2013 Dally M Rookie of Year capping of a stellar year for the South Sydney club.

He previously played for the South Sydney Rabbitohs with whom he won the 2014 NRL Grand Final, St. George Illawarra Dragons, Wigan Warriors in the Betfred Super League and for the England Knights and England at international level.

On 5 October 2014, in South Sydney's 2014 NRL Grand Final against the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, Burgess played at and scored an incredible try in South Sydney's 30–6 victory, alongside his brothers Thomas and Sam Burgess.

Burgess finished off his solid year with the South Sydney Rabbitohs in the 2014 NRL season with him playing 23 matches and scoring three tries.

On 23 January 2015, Burgess was named in the South Sydney Rabbitohs tournament winning 2015 NRL Auckland Nines squad.

On 23 February 2015, Burgess played for South Sydney in the 2015 World Club Challenge match against 2014 Super League Grand Final premiers St. Helens, playing at and received the Man of the Match award in Souths 39–0 win at Langtree Park.

In Round 26 against the Sydney Roosters, Burgess was placed on a contrary conduct charge after he threw a water bottle at Roosters forward Kane Evans as he was walking off the field to the sideline; Burgess was sitting on the interchange bench at the time of the incident in South Sydney's 30–0 loss at Sydney Football Stadium.

Later on 10 September 2015, Burgess was unsuccessful in his downgrade bid at the NRL Judiciary and received a two match suspension.

South Sydney later bowed out the Finals race after getting beaten 28–12 by the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in Week 1 of the 2015 NRL Finals series.

Burgess finished the 2015 NRL season with him playing in 24 matches and scoring one try for the South Sydney club.

In Round 15 against the Gold Coast Titans, Burgess played his 100th NRL career match in the Rabbitohs 36–20 win at ANZ Stadium.

Burgess finished the 2016 NRL season with him playing in 17 matches for the South Sydney club.

In March 2017, days before the Rabbitohs season opening match against the Wests Tigers, Burgess was dropped from the team and was sent to play for North Sydney Bears in the NSW Cup after he failed to impress coach Michael Maguire in the pre-season trial matches and was outshone by the likes of youngster Zane Musgrove to the starting front-row position.

Maguire gave Burgess a blunt ultimatum "Fire up or flounder in reserve grade".

Maguire also commenting, "It's about performance in this club and he knows the areas that he needs to improve on. "Someone like David Tyrell and Zane Musgrove have excelled in these earlier games.

Each week we'll look at who we need to carry and this week we've gone with those two boys."

In Round 3, Burgess was sent to the sin bin and later suspended for three matches after elbowing Newcastle player Mitch Barnett in the face during South Sydney's 24–18 victory.

In Round 8 against the Brisbane Broncos, Burgess was put on report for a shoulder charge on Broncos five-eighth Anthony Milford during the Rabbitohs 25–24 loss at ANZ Stadium.

After facing the NRL judiciary, Burgess copped a four-match suspension which eventually rubbed him out to play for England in their test match against Samoa.

Burgess finished the 2017 NRL season with him playing in 18 matches for the Rabbitohs.

On 6 December 2017, Burgess signed an extension contract with Souths keeping him at the club until the end of 2019.

Burgess enjoyed a return to form in 2018 with South Sydney finishing third on the table at the end of the regular season.