Robert Edward Burgess (26 March 1949) is a New Zealand
rugby union
Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...
player and academic. A
first five-eighth
In the game of rugby union, there are 15 players on each team, comprising eight forwards (wearing jerseys numbered 1–8) and seven backs (numbered 9–15). In addition, there may be up to eight replacement players "on the bench", numbered 16– ...
, Burgess represented
Manawatu at a provincial level, and was a member of the New Zealand national side, the
All Blacks
The New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks ( mi, Ōpango), represents New Zealand in men's international rugby union, which is considered the country's national sport. The team won the Rugby World Cup in 1987 ...
, from 1971 to 1973. He played 30 matches for the All Blacks including seven internationals. In 1970 Burgess refused nomination for the All Black trials for the
tour of South Africa
The Tour of South Africa was a stage cycling race in South Africa that was only held once, in 2011. It was part of UCI Africa Tour
The UCI Continental Circuits are a series of road bicycle racing competitions which were introduced in 2005 by th ...
as a protest against that country's
apartheid
Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...
regime, and in 1981 he actively campaigned against the
1981 South African tour of New Zealand.
Burgess has a master's degree (1973) and a PhD (1984) in plant ecology from
Massey University
Massey University ( mi, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa) is a university based in Palmerston North, New Zealand, with significant campuses in Albany and Wellington. Massey University has approximately 30,883 students, 13,796 of whom are extramural or ...
.
At the 1998 local-body elections, Burgess stood for the
Palmerston North mayoralty, finishing fourth in a field of 15 candidates. He is married to New Zealand writer Linda Burgess.
References
1949 births
Living people
Rugby union players from New Plymouth
People educated at Palmerston North Boys' High School
People educated at Hastings Boys' High School
New Zealand rugby union players
New Zealand international rugby union players
Manawatu rugby union players
Lyon OU Rugby players
New Zealand expatriate sportspeople in France
Expatriate rugby union players in France
New Zealand expatriate rugby union players
Rugby union fly-halves
Anti-apartheid activists
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Massey University alumni