Sport

Rugby player fractures cheekbone, plays full 80 mins, wins man of match

Sam Burgess, rugby league player and official hard man
Sam Burgess, rugby league player and official hard man

Despite suffering a suspected broken jaw and losing a tooth in the first minute of the NRL Grand Final, Englishman Sam Burgess managed to play the whole 80 minutes and win the South Sydney Rabbitohs' first trophy in 43 years.

He was also named man of the match for his performance.

Hard. As. Nails.

Here he is breaking his cheekbone:


Here he is swearing on live television at half-time:


And here he is (middle) lifting the trophy:

A slightly eventful game for the Yorkshireman then in what will be his last appearance for the Australian side before he switches codes to play Rugby Union for Bath.

After the game, Russell Crowe, actor and rugby league fanatic, said:

The guy who can be as hard as he needs to be on the field and as gracious as he can be off the field.

He has carved his name deep into the history of rugby league.

More: Is this sort of thing really allowed in American football?

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