Burgess speaks out: Sam Burgess has spoken out on his return to Rugby League by stating his 'heart was not in union'.
Burgess left Bath on Thursday to return to the NRL for South Sydney Rabbitohs after an unsuccessful time in union. Burgess who was controversially picked at the expense of Luther Burell said,
“My decision to leave Bath and move back to Australia was for personal reasons but it was also because I wanted to spend the rest of my career playing the game that’s in my heart. Rugby league is in my heart. I’m looking forward to getting back to Sydney, where I’ll be with my family and playing for the Rabbitohs alongside my brothers again.”
Burgess also stated he was sorry he left a hole in the Bath team and wanted to put his point across to the Bath players, but captain Stuart Hooper objected.
" I wanted to go in and see the team, to get my point across, but Stuart Hooper, our captain, said he didn’t think I’d be well received there, which was fair enough — if that’s how he felt. I wanted to go and say goodbye, not just as a team-mate but as a friend, but that didn’t happen. I’ve not been back in there, but I’ve spoken to guys away from the club."
Pro Rugby coming to America: North America's first ever professional rugby union league is to be launched next year.
The league, sanctioned by USA Rugby and World Rugby, will begin in April 2016 with six teams from the United States, before Canadian sides join in 2017.
Each team will be allowed no more than five non-North American players.
"As the fastest growing team sport in the USA, it is time to have a sanctioned professional competition," said USA Rugby chairman Bob Latham.
"We are very happy to partner with the Professional Rugby Organisation (Pro Rugby) in taking this step to popularise the game, to inspire Americans to fall in love with rugby, and to show the rugby world what American players can do."
Pro Rugby, the organisation set up to run the competition, said the initial six teams would be based in the north-east United States, the Rocky Mountains and California. The US national team lost all four of its matches at this year's World Cup, finishing bottom of Pool B. Canada also lost all of their matches at the tournament, finishing bottom of Pool D.
Dan Hayes
