• e-mail

Rugby league star Sam Burgess has split from his glamorous wife Phoebe just weeks after the birth of their second child.

The South Sydney premiership winner is believed to have ended the couple's five-year relationship shortly before Christmas.

Phoebe gave birth to their second child William 'Billy' Mark Burgess on December 9 after a difficult pregnancy, announcing the news on Instagram two days later with the hashtag 'FamilyofFour'.

'Welcome to our world little big man, our hearts are so full,' she wrote.

The Burgesses have a daughter, Poppy Alice, who is almost two. 

South Sydney star footballer Sam Burgess leaves the home he shared with wife Phoebe in Sydney's south-east on Wednesday afternoon.  He was in the house for half an hour and left with three packed bags. Phoebe's mother was later seen arriving

NRL star Sam Burgess, pictured outside his marital home on Wednesday, has split from his wife of three years. Phoebe Burgess remains holed-up in the couple's home with her family, including mother Sarah Hooke and sister Jemima 

Phoebe Burgess announced the December 9 birth of her second child William 'Billy' Burgess (pictured) on December 11. The couple has a daughter, Poppy Alice, who is almost two. 'Welcome to our world little big man, our hearts are so full,' she wrote

Sam Burgess met Phoebe Hooke at an Avicii concert in January 2014. They married at her parents' home at Bowral in the New South Wales southern highlands in December 2015. It is believed the couple, who have two children, split before Christmas

Phoebe is believed to be holed-up in the $3.8million marital home with her mother Sarah Hooke, pregnant sister Jemima Fairbanks and her husband Gene.

Sam was seen arriving at the property in his Bentley at 4.40pm on Wednesday and leaving about half an hour later carrying three full overnight bags. He was not wearing his wedding ring.

Phoebe's mother Sarah arrived at the house with a large suitcase about 8pm.

Phoebe was not with Sam and his 26-year-old twin brothers, fellow Souths footballers Tom and George, for a Christmas Day celebration at the Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel in Sydney's eastern suburbs.

George's wife Joanna shared a picture on Instagram showing the rest of the extended family, including the twins, older brother Luke and their mother Julie.

Phoebe Burgess was not present for this family Christmas Day gathering at Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel. Sam's brothers Tom, George and Luke and their partners were all there. Also pictured behind Sam is NSW State of Origin coach Brad Fittler 

Family support: Phoebe Burgess's sister Jemima Fairbanks and her husband Gene Fairbanks pictured outside the Burgess family home at Maroubra on Thursday. Phoebe's mother Sarah White is also with her daughter offering maternal support  

The picture also showed George and Joanna's one-year-old son Boston, Tom's girlfriend Tahlia Giumelli and NSW State of Origin coach Brad Fittler. 

Sam and Phoebe's third wedding anniversary was on December 28 and Sam turned 30 on December 14. Unusually, neither milestone was marked on social media by 29-year-old Phoebe. 

In September Sam was cleared of any wrongdoing after a 23-year-old woman claimed two unnamed Souths players had sent her lewd images of themselves via Facebook in May. 

When news of the sexting scandal broke Phoebe, who was 28 weeks' pregnant, cancelled a scheduled appearance at Sydney's Royal Randwick racecourse.

Phoebe Burgess's mother Sarah Hooke arrives at the couple's Maroubra home carrying a suitcase on Wednesday evening. Her pregnant daughter Jemima is also in the house. Phoebe and Sam were married in 2015 at her parents home at Bowral

Sam Burgess arriving at his marital home on Wednesday afternoon. Half an hour later the premiership-winning Souths star and former Bath rugby player packed three bags into his Bentley and drove away. He was not wearing his wedding ring 

Sam Burgess looked forlorn as he left his marital home at Maroubra carrying three packed bags on Wednesday afternoon

The Englishman met journalist Phoebe Hooke at a concert by the late Swedish musician Avicii in early 2014. They made their public debut as a couple at the Dally M awards in September that year. 

Sam reportedly proposed during a holiday in Europe and they married at Phoebe's parents' home in the New South Wales southern highlands in December 2015.

Oscar-winning actor Russell Crowe - the part-owner of Souths and the man who lured Sam to the club - was a guest at the nuptials.

Sam and Phoebe bought a four-bedroom home at Maroubra in Sydney's south-east for $3.8million in early 2016 and had been living there together until recently.

It is believed Phoebe spent Christmas with her parents at their Bowral home. 

Burgess, a dual-code international who earns more than $1million a year, signed a contract extension with Souths in September which will see him stay at the club until the end of the 2023 season. 

Rabbitohs star Sam Burgess is hugged by club part-owner Russell Crowe after South Sydney won the 2014 NRL premiership

'My little man': A smitten Phoebe Burgess shares the first photo of her baby son William's face  after welcoming the bub with NRL star husband Sam Burgess on December 9. Phoebe did not mark her third wedding anniversary on social media

A source told Daily Mail Australia in November that Billy was to be delivered by cesarean. 'Phoebe will be giving birth by C-section in three weeks, because the little fella already weighs 4kgs', the source said. 

Phoebe told Who magazine in August the pregnancy with Billy - who had originally been due on Christmas Day - had been difficult. 

'I wish I had a better handle on it but I think everyone will tell you that the second pregnancy is very fast and furious - because you’re running around with a little one and in my case, an 18-month old,' she said. 

'Physically it's been a lot tougher and the hormones have played a big part - I was very sick at the start of my pregnancy. 

'I wasn't sick with Poppy once but I've been running for the sink this time, having dizzy fainting spells. It's been the whole works.'

Daily Mail Australia has attempted to contact Sam and Phoebe's management as well as the South Sydney Rabbitohs. 

Sam began his professional rugby league career playing for the Bradford Bulls in 2006 before joining South Sydney in 2010.

After winning an NRL premiership with the Rabbitohs in 2014 he spent a season playing rugby for Bath and was part of England's unsuccessful 2015 Rugby World Cup campaign before returning to Souths.

Sam Burgess carrying the ball in a friendly match between England and Ireland at Twickenham before the 2015 Rugby World Cup (left) and on the charge for the South Sydney Rabbitohs against the Brisbane Broncos at Suncorp Stadium in 2017 

Phoebe Burgess has worked as a journalist on television and for magazines and helped design a range of activewear