Robert Edward Burgess (26 March 1949) is a New Zealand rugby union player and academic.

A first five-eighth, Burgess represented Manawatu at a provincial level, and was a member of the New Zealand national side, the All Blacks, from 1971 to 1973.

[1] Burgess has a master's degree (1973) and a PhD (1984) in plant ecology from Massey University.

[2][3][4] At the 1998 local-body elections, Burgess stood for the Palmerston North mayoralty, finishing fourth in a field of 15 candidates.

This biographical article relating to New Zealand rugby union, about a person born in the 1940s, is a stub.