Injury forces Falcons' Burke into retirement
Newcastle Falcons and Australia full-back Matt Burke retires
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Thursday, 29, May 2008 03:28
Newcastle Falcons and Australia full-back Matt Burke has been forced to retire from professional rugby with immediate effect due to injury.
The 35-year-old has spent the last seven months recovering from a torn anterior cruciate knee ligament, but he has decided to hang up his boots rather than return to action.
Burke, who won 81 international caps, was a key member of the Australia team that won the Rugby World Cup in 1999, scoring a total of 49 points in the semi-final against South Africa and the final against France.
His total of 878 points for the Wallabies puts him fifth on the all-time point-scorers list in worldwide Test rugby, which he achieved over a ten-year career that began in 1994.
Only legendary former captain Michael Lynagh has a higher points tally for Australia.
After a glittering career down under, Burke chose to move to the UK and joined Newcastle in the summer of 2004, scoring 26 tries and 430 points in his 81 games for the club.
However he sustained a serious knee injury, which eventually forced his retirement, against Bath last October and has now decided to call a halt to his professional career.
"I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Newcastle, playing my rugby and closing out my career with the Falcons," Burke said.
"I look back on my four seasons and hopefully say that I contributed to the team's performances and provided some enjoyment for the fans to come and watch.
"To have played week in, week out with what I thought was one of the best group of supporters of a club gave me a great sense of pride, and over my time I'd hoped to have repaid them with my commitment to the shirt."
Newcastle chairman Dave Thompson added: "Matt will go down as one of the greatest Falcons of all time.
"As well as being a sensational player who achieved incredibly high standards every time he took the field, the way he conducted himself behind the scenes should serve as an example to all professional players.
"It is quite rare to talk of a foreigner being regarded as a genuine Geordie sporting icon, but during his four seasons with us Matt most definitely achieved that status.
"He will now embark on the next chapter of his life with his family back in Australia, but he will forever be a Falcon."