Sam Burgess has said that family reasons were the main factor in his decision to return to rugby league after just a solitary season in rugby union.
The 26-year-old has left Bath to make a return to the South Sydney Rabbitohs on a three-year contract, and he thanked the union side for granting his release. According to the BBC, he said:
“I want to thank everyone at England Rugby and Bath for some great memories over the last 12 months.
“I must also thank Bath especially for granting my release to return home to my family, who I have missed more than I could have imagined.
Burgess, a cross-code international, joined Bath after playing 96 games for the Rabbitohs over the course of four years, winning the NRL title in his final game for the club. After spending ten months at the Premiership side and making just 21 appearances, he was called up to the England squad for the recent Rugby World Cup.
However, the hosts crashed out at the group stage, with Burgess’ selection to play in the back row proving to be highly controversial, as he normally played at blindside flanker for Bath. This inevitably resulted in many pundits blaming the Yorkshire native for England’s exit.
Despite this, Burgess stated that he enjoyed his time in England and felt that his game had developed during his time at Bath, saying:
“I had a wonderful time in England and learnt a lot about the game of rugby union as both a back and a forward, and I have definitely developed as an all-round player and athlete after that.
“I’m now very lucky to be given the chance to come back to Souths and serve this club.”
Burgess’ return to Australia will reunite him with brothers George and Tom, who currently play with the Rabbitohs and recently extended their contracts until 2018, and oldest brother Luke, who plays for Manly.
