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Former NRL star Sam Burgess has denied taking any illicit drugs after he allegedly failed a random roadside drug test.
The former South Sydney Rabbitohs premiership star, 34, who has a history of 35 previous traffic offences, was allegedly driving a BMWx5 when he was pulled over by police at Kingsford on Thursday morning for a random test.
Police allege registration checks revealed Burgess had a suspended licence.
He allegedly returned a positive result for cocaine and was taken back to Maroubra Police Station for a second round of tests and was later released.
Burgess has denied the allegations and later took a urine sample at an internationally-accredited laboratory which he claimed showed no drugs in his system.
Sam Burgess (pictured with new girlfriend Lucy Graham last month) allegedly failed a random breath test when he pulled over by NSW Police on Thursday
Burgess (pictured in February, 2019) has denied taking any illicit drugs
‘He completely denies any suggestion that he was involved with any illicit drugs and we have obtained a urine sample from an internationally-accredited laboratory confirming that he has not consumed any illicit drugs,’ his lawyer Brian Wrench said.
Burgess has since released a statement to Daily Mail Australia, claiming he hasn’t ‘consumed, obtained, or possessed any illicit drugs’.
‘An initial roadside drug test was taken, which showed positive to cocaine,’ Burgess said.
‘A court date was issued for driving with a suspended licence.’
‘After I was released from the police station, I immediately and voluntarily went to an independent, internationally accredited testing facility and undertook a urine test. The urine sample returned a negative result to all illicit drugs.
‘I deny any suggestion that I have drugs in my system. I have not consumed, obtained, or possessed any illicit drugs.
‘I have made positive improvements to my life and to my driving since my full licence was returned to me following a 10-month loss of licence. I have undertaken road safety courses and since then I have not incurred any demerit points or fines.
‘I am clean and sober from drugs, living a happy, healthy and balanced life.’
Sam Burgess, pictured with lawyer Bryan Wrench and his mother Julie Burgess at a previous court appearance, was pulled over by police at Kingsford on Thursday morning
Sam Burgess broke his silence on the allegations shortly after the news became public
Burgess was issued a court attendance notice for driving while suspended and will appear in Waverley Local Court on February 15.
He has not yet been charged over the alleged positive drug test.
‘Inquiries are continuing, and police will await the result of a secondary oral fluid analysis,’ a NSW Police statement read.
The results could take several weeks to come back.
Before his latest arrest, Burgess had racked up 35 prior traffic offences since arriving in Australia from the UK in 2010.
Most of the prior traffic offences were on his British licence.
Most recently, he pleaded guilty to driving with cocaine in his system after highway patrol caught him behind the wheel of an unregistered car near Bowral in the Southern Highlands in February last year.
He was on his way to visit his two young children when he was pulled over.
Burgess was later fined, received a good behaviour bond, and ordered to take part in a traffic offender’s program. No conviction was recorded.
In March, the NRL fined Burgess $30,000 for using illicit drugs and threatening another player in 2018, and driving with traces of cocaine in his system in February 2021 while working at the Rabbitohs in an off-field role.
Burgess was acquitted on appeal of intimidating his former father in law last year.
Sam Burgess (pictured) says he’s clean and sober from drugs, despite allegedly testing positive to cocaine in a roadside drug test on Thursday
Sam Burgess was previously married to Phoebe Hooke before the couple split in 2019
He recently went public with new girlfriend Lucy Graham, his first serious girlfriend since separating from wife Phoebe Hooke in 2019.
The former couple were married for four years and share two young children Poppy and Billy.
The retired English prop recently started a new role as assistant coach at the Rabbitohs.
Burgess played 182 games for the Rabbitohs during two stints before retiring in 2019 due to a chronic shoulder injury.
He celebrated his 34th birthday last week and shared a series of photos celebrating with his new girlfriend, three brothers, mum Julie and his two children.
‘Thanks for all the birthday love yesterday. It’s been a great week spent with my most important. Very lucky,’ he posted on Instagram.
Sam Burgess was issued a court attendance notice for driving while suspended and will face court in February
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