Bath and England star George Ford has said that Sam Burgess has let his club and his teammates down by 'giving up' on his move to rugby union.

Burgess's exit from rugby union to return to his former Australian rugby league side South Sydney Rabbitohs was confirmed last week, with the player himself admitting that his heart was not in playing rugby union after only a year in the game.

After Bath coach Mike Ford claimed that Burgess 'did not have the stomach' to see out his contract with the club, his son George has said that he feels let down by his former teammate's decision.

"I am big on loyalty and respect," he told reporters. "If you commit to something, to me you give it your all. There are a lot of people helping you out and making sacrifices to make you a better player and a part of a great team. I would never feel like I could walk away from that because I would let a lot of people down.

"People make decisions for their own reasons – everyone is different – but I could not do that. The boys here, the staff, the fans - they have committed so much that, to be honest, it was a bit of a kick in the teeth. We felt let down."

Ford's Bath side were due to take on holders Toulon in their opening European Rugby Champions Cup fixture on Sunday, but the clash has been postponed in the wake of Friday's tragic events in Paris.