Luke Burgess
Welcome back!
Luke Burgess, 24, started the year as the third choice Waratah half back and just two weeks after the Super 14 final he has been anointed as the new Wallabies half back. For Luke Burgess the opportunity has been a long time coming after being in the Brumbies program for several years but ranked as the third choice half back behind George Gregan and Patrick Phibbs, the future for Luke Burgess looked bleak.
A move from the Brumbies to link with the Waratahs for the 2008 Super 14 season provided the chance Burgess needed to get the break that has lead him to the Wallabies half back spot. Burgess impressed early in the season with some good performances off the bench but when he grabbed his chance midway through the season he did not look back and made the position his own. The reward for Luke is the Wallabies No 7. jersey for the first test of the season.
Brumbies Coaching Squad 2009
The Brumbies today announced their coaching squad for 2009. Recently Andy Friend was announced as Head Coach replacing Laurie Fisher who will take control on a three year contract. Today the final places in the coaching squad have been announced.
Owen Finegan and Bill Young have been announced as the forward’s coaches, both ex Brumbies players. Finegan will underake the Assistant Coach for the forwards and Bill Young the Assistant Coach for the scrum. Julian Huxley joins the coaching staff as the Kicking Coach and Tony Rae the former Harlequins Rugby League coach joins the team as the Defense and Skills Coach.
With three former brumbies players in Young, Finegan and Huxley the team will continue to the link to developing players not just in rugby but also providing a path to developing coaching personnel. It is particularly pleasing news to Julian Huxley in coaching squad after the difficult year he has experienced with being diagnosed with a brain tumour and subsequently treated.
Owen Finegan is the only coach that remains from the 2008 campaign that provided one of the worst years for the Brumbies in the Super Rugby competition.