Classic Wallaby and current Network TEN broadcaster Matt Burke has been awarded the Order of Australia Medal in the 2015 Queens birthday Honours.
The award comes after Burke’s monumental service to Rugby as a player during his career for the NSW Waratahs and Qantas Wallabies, and continued service to sport as a sports presenter.
Earning his debut in 1993, Matthew Burke is Australia’s most capped fullback with 81 appearances under his belt and remains to be touted as the best fullback to ever pull on a Wallaby jersey.
At Test level he scored a remarkable 878 points, and at one stage in his career he held 10 different points’ records in Test Rugby alone.
Burke played in three World Cups (1995, 1999 and 2003) in his time with the Wallabies, his most memorable in 1999 where he kicked 25 points to help Australia win its second World Cup Final against France.
In 1998 Burke scored all 24 points in the Wallabies win over New Zealand, which still stands as the most test points scored against New Zealand in one match by an individual player.
He played a pivotal role in the Wallabies series win over the British and Irish Lions in 2001, kicking five penalties and two conversions in the final match to clinch the series 2-1.
Burke was even more damaging playing for his beloved Waratahs. Earning 115 caps, Burke scored a mammoth 1172, and was rewarded for his leadership with the role of Captain.
In 2004 Matt departed Australian Rugby signing a contract with the Newcastle Falcons where he played for 2 years before ending his career.
Matthew Burke then joined Network TEN as a Rugby commentator during the Rugby Championship in 2013. Burke pursued this career and now appears as a nightly sports presenter for Ten Eyewitness News.
