FORMER Bradford Bulls star Sam Burgess completed the ultimate test of physical and mental strength by passing selection on SAS Australia.

The 32-year-old was one of three men, fellow ex sportsmen John Steffensen and Mark Philippoussis being the other two, to make it to the end of the course.

However, chief instructor Ant Middleton thought only Burgess, who played at Bradford between 2006 and 2009, had SAS soldier written all over him.

He emotionally told the show: "My goal was to get to the end and be selected, and it was great to achieve that goal."

It has been quite the rollercoaster for the retired front rower on the down under version of the hit Channel 4 programme.

Not only has he jumped out of a helicopter, ran into a shed full of tear gas and wrote a 'death letter' to his family, Burgess opened up on his post retirement struggles.

During the 14 episodes, the West Yorkshireman talks about his divorce from ex-wife of four years Phoebe Hooke, numerous trips to the courts and the battle to see his children.

He added: "What I'm taking from it (the show) is I'm going to pour all my time, my emotion, into the places that deserve it in my life.

"It starts with my kids and making sure I'm the best role model for them. It's just a great lesson in life."

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Sam Burgess (@samburgess8)

Burgess played for the Bulls 88 times in the late noughties before plying his trade at South Sydney Rabbitohs for a combined seven years across two spells.

He also switched codes to rugby union, signing for Bath and representing England in their disastrous 2015 Rugby Union World Cup campaign on home soil.

The ex-Great Britain international hung up his rugby boots in October 2019 due to chronic shoulder injuries.