His father Gordon Burgess played for Auckland between 1940–41 and 1954–55[1] and managed the New Zealand team that toured England, India and Pakistan in 1969.

Between 1958 and 1963 he attended Auckland Grammar School, where he showed his talent as a sportsman by becoming a member of both the cricket and soccer 1st Elevens for several years.

[3] He made his first first-class century, 102, shortly afterwards in April 1968 when he played two matches in India with several other international players to raise money for the Koyna Relief Fund.

New Zealand needed to win or draw the Third Test at Dacca to give the country its first overseas series victory against any opponent.

Christopher Martin-Jenkins summed him up as "a fair-haired right-hander with a sound technique and some handsome attacking strokes, especially adept at driving", and says of his captaincy and overall attitude to cricket, "he was popular with both his own team and his opponents.

"[9] During the 1970s, before the advent of professional sport in New Zealand, sportsmen were required to support themselves and take unpaid leave to complete overseas tours.

In the mid-1970s Burgess joined the staff of a leading Auckland sportsgoods wholesaler, Brittain Wynyard & Co. Ltd. Beginning as a sales representative, he became promotions manager of the company.