Sam Burgess says his special friendship with Russell Crowe will last forever

WHEN Russell Crowe invited Sam Burgess to the set of his movie Robin Hood five years ago it forged a friendship that Burgess says will last forever.

BATH, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 30: Bath Rugby's new signing Sam Burgess, poses during the media session held at the Recreation Ground on October 30, 2014 in Bath, England. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

A FIVE year rugby league odyssey that began in Russell Crowe’s movie set trailer ended with a few days kicking back on the Academy Award winner’s Coffs Harbour farm, but Sam Burgess says their friendship will last forever.

Burgess got the star treatment himself when he faced a packed media conference at Bath Rugby club on Friday, his cross code leap from the South Sydney Rabbitohs to the English Premiership club touted as the biggest in rugby union history.

The local rugby press were keen to explore the nuts and bolts of the move: when would he be fit to make his debut after surgery on the cheek he smashed in the first moments of Souths’ momentous grand final win over the Bulldogs?

BURGESS MAKES A SPLASH AT BATH

Bath Rugby's new signing Sam Burgess, poses during the media session held at the Recreation Ground in Bath, England.

Would he play in the backrow or centres? Was he confident of making the England squad for next year’s Rugby World Cup?

He answered every query with long and earnest answers, although in truth the substance of just about every one was the same: I’m not sure.

But when it came to Crowe and the Rabbitohs, there was no procrastination: he spoke straight from the heart.

And why wouldn’t he? It was Souths’ owner Crowe who stunned Burgess with an invitation to the set of his movie Robin Hood in Derbyshire five years ago, and there outlined a scenario that would have done a Hollywood scriptwriter proud.

The big kid from Dewsbury, the film star said, would come to Australia, join the worst team in the NRL, and help turn them into its best. Together they would scale the battlements and taste the ultimate victory in the final scene.

If it hadn’t been true, you’d never believe it.

Sam Burgess with Russell Crowe after South Sydney won the 2014 grand final. Picture Gregg Porteous

Crowe will never forget what the now-grown kid he calls “the sparkly-eyed man” gave him and Souths’ long-suffering army of fans. Just as the boy from Dewsbury will never forget how Crowe changed his life.

“I’ve got a great friendship with Russell,” Burgess said. “I’ve built that for five or six years. I said five years ago that I’d help him win the comp at Souths and I finally did it in my last game.

“Since then me and Russell went up to his farm and spent four or five days after surgery on my face, just relaxing. We had a couple of beers together and had a good time. We just chilled really. I was knackered to be honest.”

Hardly surprising, for this was no ordinary premiership victory. It was doused in passion and, in the case of Burgess, fuelled by blood, sweat and tears. So, did the emotional aftermath of the job well done make it harder or easier to walk away?

“Neither really,” he says. “My decision was clear from the beginning of the year. I knew my time frame was quite limited so it was very easy to put a lot of energy and focus into the season.

“The way the year finished was unbelievable. I spoke about it with Russell at the beginning of the year. That’s the goal we wanted, to win a premiership in my last season, and we did it and the emotion and everything, well you saw that coming out.

“It takes a hell of a lot to win the comp in Australia and I thought I had to get everything right and it meant a lot to myself, knowing it was my last year there. It meant a lot to a huge area of South Sydney and the people around as well.

“Sport can give you some wonderful feelings and that’s probably the best I’ve had in my career so far.”

George Burgess busts a tackle and scores a try during the 2014 NRL Grand Final. Picture Gregg Porteous

With that memory firmly locked away, Burgess was content to walk away from the Rabbitohs without a backward glance but in some good news for Souths fans — and Crowe — he says none of his three brothers, who all played their part in the premiership win, are ready to join him.

“I know there’s been talk about George, but he and Thomas are three years younger than me and I think they might have a few things they want to do yet before they even think about anything like this,” he said.

“They are living on Coogee Beach, they very rarely wear T-shirts. They’re loving it down in Australia. My eldest brother Luke is settled down, he’s got a new daughter and a family in Sydney. My mum, she loves the sun, so I think she’s well and truly settled in Australia.”

And as for Crowe?

“He’s still a very good friend and very supportive of this new chapter I’m going into now,” he said.

“I’ll see if we can get him out here to watch a game.”