FORMER Bradford Bulls star Sam Burgess has welcomed a new baby boy with his wife Phoebe Burgess.

The 9lb 5oz boy, named William "Billy" Mark Burgess, was born on Sunday in Sydney, Australia.

Billy is the second child Burgess, 29, has had with his journalist wife, who he married in 2015, following the birth of daughter Poppy in January 2017.

His new child's middle name, Mark, was also the name of Burgess' later father, who battled motor neurone disease while Burgess was coming through the ranks as a youngster at the Bulls.

Mrs Burgess shared a photo of her and Sam with Billy on her Instagram page earlier today with the caption: "William “Billy” Mark Burgess🙌🏻 Born 9th December 2018, 4.22kg.
"Welcome to our world little big man, our hearts are so full. #FamilyofFour"

After making his debut at 18, Liversedge-born Burgess played four seasons with Bradford, making his Great Britain debut at 19, before signing for South Sydney Rabbitohs in Australia.

He played at Souths for five seasons, finishing his spell at the club winning the Clive Churchill Medal for man-of-the-match in the NRL Grand Final, which his side won against Canterbury Bulldogs, after his heroic effort of playing the full 80-minutes at prop, despite fracturing his cheekbone and eye socket six seconds into the match.

He then switched to rugby union for one season, playing for Bath and also appearing for England in their ill-fated Rugby Union World Cup campaign in 2015, crashing out in the group stages.

He then moved back to rugby league and the Rabbitohs, where he has played ever since, and last year was part of the England side that narrowly lost 6-0 to Australia in the Rugby League World Cup final.

He plays alongside brothers Thomas and George Burgess, who are twins, at South Sydney, who also came through the academy at Bradford before moving Down Under.