Burgoyne played for both the Marist Saints and the Bay Roskill Vikings in the Auckland Rugby League competition.
[6] He was first selected for the New Zealand national rugby league team in 1972, as part of the squad for that year's World Cup.
He played in three games at the tournament, scoring a try against Great Britain.
[citation needed] Burgoyne's daughter Leilani Tamu is a writer, a former diplomat and an aspiring candidate for the New Zealand Green Party.
She has spoken frankly about her father's severe gambling addiction, indirectly leading to his early death at the age of 52.