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Matt Burke

Player Statistics
NameMatt Burke
PositionFullback/Centre
Height184 cm
Weight95 kg
Date of Birth26 March 1973
ClubEastwood
Super 12 TeamNSW Waratahs
State Caps114
Super 12 Caps79
Tests                   81 - 1993 SA3 (rep), Fr1. 1994 Ire1 [1t], Ire2, It1 [1t], It2. 1995 C*, R* [1t,2c], E*, NZ1 [1p], NZ2 [2c,3p]. 1996 W1 [6c,3p], W2 [1t,2c,2p], C 3t,9c,2p], NZ1 [2p], SA1 [1c,3p], NZ2 [1t,5p], SA2 [1p], It [4c,4p], S [2c,5p], Ire [1c,5p], W [1t,2c,3p]. 1997 E1 [1t,1c], NZ2 [1c,2p]. 1998 E1 [1t,4c,3p], S1 [1t,4c,4p], S2 [2c,3p], NZ1 [2t,1c,4p], SA1 [1p], NZ2 [1t,1p], SA2 [5p], NZ3 [1t]. 1999 Ire2 (rep), E (rep), SA1 [1t,3c,2p], NZ1 [1c,1p], SA2 [3p], NZ2 [1c,7p], R* [1t,5c], Ire* [2c,2p], US* [1t,5c,1p], W* [3c,1p], SA* [8p], Fr* [2c,7p]. 2000 Fr [6p], S [1t,3c,3p], E [1t,1c,4p]. 2001 L1 (rep), L2 [1t, 1c, 6p], L3 [2c, 5p], SA1 [4p], NZ1 [1t,2c,3p], SA2 [3p], NZ2 [1c,4p], Sp [10c,1p], E [1t,1c,1p], Fr [2p], W [7p]. 2002 Fr1 [2c, 5p], Fr2 [1t, 1p], NZ1 [2p], SA1 [3c, 3p], NZ2 [2p], SA2 [2c, 3p], Arg [3p], Ire [3p], E [2c, 4p], It [3c, 1p] 2003 SA1 [2c, 1dg], NZ1 [1t, 2p], SA2 (rep), NZ2 (rep), Arg*, R* [2t], N* [1t] (rep), Ire*. 2004 S1 [1c] (rep), PI [1c] (rep),  SA [1c] (rep), NZ2 [2p] (rep), SA2 (rep)
Test Points878 [29 tries, 104 conversions, 174 penalties, 1 drop goal]
Test Debut1993 v South Africa
HonoursSydney, NSW Waratahs, Barbarians, Australian Schoolboys,

Australian U21s, Australian Sevens, AIS Australian Barbarians, Australian Wallabies

Senior Tours

1993 - World Cup Sevens (Scotland); North America & France. 1995 - World Cup (South Africa). 1996 - Europe. 1999 - World Cup (UK). 2000 - Japan, France & UK. 2001 - UK & Europe. 2002 - Argentina, UK & Europe.

 

An outstanding fullback, Matthew Burke switched to outside centre three years ago and played five Tests in the Number 13 jersey last season. A shoulder injury saw Burke start the 2004 Super 12 season on the bench with the Waratahs, but with the opportunity to return to the starting side came some of the attacking flare and tight defence that he is renowned for.

 

Keen to regain his spot in the Wallaby starting lineup, Burke finished the Super 12 season strongly and has the versatility of being able to play outside centre, on either wing, or at fullback. He even put his hand up for flyhalf at the Waratahs this season.

 

Burke's long career in representative rugby began in 1990 when he toured the UK and Ireland with the Australian Schoolboys. He then graduated to the Australian U21s team in 1992 and 1993 at the same time as playing at the Hong Kong Sevens in 1992 and the World Cup Sevens in 1993. His Test debut was inevitable in 1993 when he played in the third Test against the Springboks.

 

In 1998 he scored all 24 of the Wallabies points against New Zealand at the MCG, a world record against the All Blacks. As the Wallaby fullback in 1999 he scored an amazing 23 points against the All Blacks at Stadium Australia, 24 points against South Africa in the RWC Semi Final and 25 points against France in the Final.

 

In 2002 Burke added to his national worth when he kicked a penalty after fulltime to win the Bledisloe Cup in windy conditions at Stadium Australia.

 

Burke is Australia's most capped fullback, having played 52 of his 68 Tests in that position. After breaking 1000 career points for NSW last year, he currently sits on 866 Test points after playing eight internationals last year, mostly at outside centre.

 

Away from rugby, Burke and his wife Kate celebrated the birth of their second daughter, Edie in April this year.

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