Rugby league: Flirty texts expose Sam Burgess' alleged affair from 2017

Sam Burgess has been forced to stand down from his role as development coach with the Rabbitohs, and also from his media duties with Fox Sports. Photo / Photosport

Text messages sent and received by former rugby league player Sam Burgess have unveiled an alleged affair from the height of his professional career.

NewsCorp obtained WhatsApp messages between Burgess and a woman from October 2017 to May 2018, in which they have flirty exchanges and organise to meet up at Melbourne hotels.

In the leaked messages, they refer to each other as "Chunky Butt", "The Big Rig" and "Monkey". The pair also shared photographs of themselves.

In the edited version of the online exchanges, Burgess messaged the women the day before England's World Cup match against Australia in October 2017.

"Sorry darling, honestly can't do it tonight. Totally against everything I do, I set all the standards and s**t and if anyone knows or sees you coming into my room day before the biggest test match of the season I will get smashed," Burgess wrote.

"If I wasn't a senior player would be easier to do but I can't."

The previous day, Burgess had told the woman he was "half-naked" as they organised to meet in Melbourne.

The woman sent Burgess a message hours after he limped off the field with a knee injury in the first half of England's 18-4 loss.

"No words are ever going to do justice. I really hope it's just a niggle. I was so proud of you tonight, you killed it. Your hot on Cronk was epic. I know you have a lot on your mind but at some stage call me and talk to me. Wish I could squish you and give you neck nestles right now," she wrote.

"As of tomorrow I won't contact you anymore. Just shattered for you tonight. You have some sort of curse on me. Want to give you a big hug. You got this, listen to the doc's, follow your rehab to a T and you will be training in a few weeks. I'm going to stop texting you now for a few weeks as word has got out your wife is in town. Bit confused with everything we spoke about but least of your worries. Just know I'm here and thinking of you always … thank you for the most amazing week."

Burgess responded: "My wife made the trip down today with my daughter. I feel like an arse after we spoke. I'm so sorry for bringing you into all my s**t I should never have opened my mouth.

"I have got a lot of s**t to sort now with my knee tomorrow too.

"Thanks for being so caring and listening."

After almost four months of silence, the woman messaged Burgess out of the blue in May 2018.

"I see stuff appear on my insta feed and I have to say it really does make me question all the c**p you fed me to clearly get me in to bed," she wrote.

"To come in to my home and all the hours we spent talking about how unhappy you were and living separate lives … why would you do this to not only your wife but me?

"I feel like the biggest fool. How dare you."

Burgess married Phoebe Hooke in December 2015, and the pair welcomed their first daughter together in January 2017. After the birth of their second child in December 2018, the pair separated and reconciled, before separating again in October 2019.

On Thursday evening, The Australian released a bombshell report in which Burgess was accused of allegations of violence and substance abuse.

Burgess confirmed he has since stood down from his role as development coach with the Rabbitohs, and also from his media duties with Fox Sports.