Ex-Wigan Warriors and NRL great George Burgess signs with new club for 2025

Former Wigan Warriors man George Burgess has landed a new club to play for in 2025 after his NRL retirement.

Burgess, the younger brother of Warrington Wolves head coach Sam and the twin of new Huddersfield Giants signing Tom, called time on his NRL career at the end of the 2022 season.

He has since played in the Cairns Premiership, doing so in 2023, before retiring a second time. Burgess returned to the field in the second-half of the 2024 season and it now looks like he’s set to continue in 2025, albeit with a different club.

It’s been confirmed that the 32-year-old has signed for Noosa Pirates who play in the Sunshine Coast Gympie Rugby League competition. In the 2024 season, the Pirates placed second before losing in the preliminary final.

They’ll now be bolstered by former England international George Burgess after it was confirmed that he has signed a deal with the club, something that has been described as ‘pretty special’ by the club’s president Liam Anlezark.

Former Wigan Warriors and NRL star George Burgess finds new club

Burgess debuted for South Sydney, with whom he would win an NRL Premiership, in 2012 and stayed until 2019. He would then join Wigan Warriors, testing his hand in Super League, but played just 8 times.

An NRL return with St George Illawarra Dragons was short-lived and he retired from the NRL at the end of the 2022 season. He’s now explained why he’s ready to return, albeit at a much lower level.

Per The Courier Mail, Burgess said: “For me, it’s very important to stay connected to the game that I have grown and evolved with as a person, it’s more than just a sport for me.”

It was also revealed that he is expected to coach the club’s under-16s team, something he’s very keen on: “To be given the opportunity to pass on my teachings to the next generation of footy players is something special.

“As a 15 and 16-year-old young man I was definitely at a crossroads as to whether I was going to pursue rugby league as a career or not so to be able to work closely with the Pirates under-16’s is great for me to be able to play a pivotal role in their young sporting careers and give them valuable lessons they can use in their lives on and off the field.

“I look forward to getting involved in the Noosa community and Pirates rugby league club as a whole and helping wherever I can.”