Losing a final is the ultimate sporting heartbreak, but Sam Burgess remained dignified in his post-match speech.
England Rugby League captain Sam Burgess gave an emotional speech after a gruelling World Cup final which England lost 6-0 to Australia.
England captain Sam Burgess has a very personal message for you! #RLWC2017 #bbcrl pic.twitter.com/oVSirACQqf
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) December 2, 2017
Maintaining his cool, Burgess congratulated Australia captain Cameron Smith on their tournament, and thanked his friends, family and the fans who travelled to the other corner of the globe to support England down under.
He also expressed a lot of love and gratitude to his teammates, who fought tooth and nail in an intense battle but ultimately came up short.
Smith converted Boyd Cordner’s try to earn Australia the only points of the low-scoring but fiercely contested battle.
Whereas chances to respond were limited for the English team, the last-ditch ankle tap from Josh Dugan on Kallum Watkins felt like a defining moment.
