ENGLAND international Tom Burgess is set to join Huddersfield Giants from 2025.
One of the most respected and experienced forwards within Rugby League, Burgess hails from Dewsbury, and made his breakthrough at neighbours Bradford Bulls, bursting onto the scene in Super League and then joining South Sydney Rabbitohs, where he has made over 200 appearances with his 6’5 and 120kg frame bringing a huge presence to their pack.
In only his second year down under, the powerhouse prop won the competition with his two brothers by his side, as South Sydney defeated Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 30-6, with Burgess also playing in the 2015 World Club Challenge, where they were victorious against St Helens.
Also, a seasoned England international, Burgess played in a World Cup final for his country and has made 33 appearances for the national side to date, showing his commitment and consistency throughout his career.
Burgess has penned a three-year contract with the Giants, commencing for the 2025 season, with him spending the 2024 season at South Sydney, and joining up with the Giants from November.
The 30-year-old commented on making the move to the Giants: “I feel real good actually, about getting it all sorted and obviously I have been looking at potentially coming back to the Super League for the last few years but now I re-signed with Souths until the end of the year, but no I’ve been really fortunate to get in touch with Huddersfield, we came to an agreement.
“One thing I am really excited about coming back to Huddersfield, it’s really close to where I grew up, where I went to school, bringing my young family back there and it’s going to be really cool to come back to where it all began with a great club like Huddersfield Giants.”
Burgess has reiterated his claim that he wants to win silverware with the Giants.
“There is no mistake in what I want to do over in England, I want to come over there and win silverware. I’m not coming back to make up numbers or finish my career. I never got there with Bradford, we had a good side back in those early days, but we never pushed through into the playoffs and made the go for it.
“So that’s one thing I look for in a club, I want to get there, I want to get to those finals and bring silverware back to where it should be, the birthplace of Rugby League”.
Head Coach Ian Watson was delighted to capture Burgess for the 2025 season and beyond: “This is a huge transfer, not just for the Giants, but for Super League and the game in general, with the stature of Thomas and what he’s achieved in his career to be consistently one of the best front rowers within the game, we’re absolutely delighted for him to become a Giant in 2025.”, said Watson.
“You only have to look at his career, winning the NRL and consistently being one of the best within the international game, we’ve been on the lookout for a big middle, and Thomas fits the profile of what we’ve been searching for, it’s also great to have another English middle in our pack.
“We heard that Tom may be available within the next year or so, so we touched base, and I had a conversation with him just about Rugby for about an hour, and then received a call from his agent notifying me that he would be interested in joining the Giants, it moved quick from there really.
“I know him from the Lions tour, and I saw then first-hand the standards he sets himself, and how he applies himself in training and during games, it’s what we’re looking for at the Giants, he fits our culture and the future we’re going for here, we want our young players to learn from the very best and we’re getting that in Thomas.
“There was interest in Super League for him, but he wanted to come here, and the three-year deal gives his family security, and he’s moving close to where it all started for him at Bradford.”
Giants Managing Director Richard Thewlis also discussed securing Burgess on a three-year deal: “This move needed to be early given the reputation, ability and standing of Thomas in the game. It’s an enormous coup for us to bring him back to Huddersfield where it all started for him several years ago.
“We missed him as an academy player with him choosing the Bulls who at the time were amongst the game’s dominant forces but It’s simply wonderful that he wants to come back to England and more importantly for us to Huddersfield having grown up just down the road in Dewsbury.
“Players of this quality in their prime – which Thomas is – and was amply demonstrated recently in the test series against Tonga don’t become available very often but for us the stars aligned at the right time, and we were quickly able to secure his signature.
“I’d expect this to be huge new for a couple of days and then both parties move on to the immediate priority. For ourselves it’s preparing for the Betfred Super League opener at Leigh and for Thomas its preparing for another great season at Souths.
“We thank the Souths club for their assistance in making this announcement and in particular CEO Blake Solly who is well known to the English Super League. We’ll then meet up with Thomas and his family and begin our journeys together in November of this year.”
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