Phoebe Burgess calls out rugby league’s ugly secrets

Sam Burgess' ex-wife opens up about their scandal-plagued marriage

Words: Claire Harvey | Jessica Halloran Producer: Louise Starkey

Phoebe Burgess has broken her silence on the NRL’s culture of misogyny, lies and cover-ups, as she sits at the centre of one of Australia’s most infamous breakups.

The 32-year-old is the ex-wife of NRL-turned-reality-TV star Sam Burgess, with whom she has two children.

The couple embarked on what looked like a glamorous romantic adventure after tying the knot in 2015.

The vision, however, was soon cut short, with their marriage plagued with infidelity, allegations (which Sam has denied) of a drug-fuelled episode in their home, court cases, a police strike-force and a rugby league integrity investigation.

Since the episode aired, countless women have DM’d Phoebe on Instagram, expressing their sorrow for her and revealing personal details about their own troubled relationships.

The sorry episode spurred Phoebe to go public with her story, calling out the powerful individuals and institutions in rugby league she accuses of moral negligence.

She says they pressured her to stay in a marriage where she was lost and afraid, failed to encourage her husband to get the help he clearly needed, and allowed him to act like everything was fixed.

For the first time, a woman who’s seen rugby league from the inside is calling out its ugly secrets: the way clubs use their power and influence to shield, excuse and forgive players’ behaviour.

In October 2020, The Australian published evidence the South Sydney Rabbitohs had actively concealed Burgess’ drug use and wild behaviour, sparking investigations by NSW Police, the NRL’s Integrity Unit and healthcare authorities, all of which are ongoing.