Matthew Coleman Burke (born 26 March 1973) is an Australian former international rugby union player and sport presenter on Sydney's 10 News First.

In the national team for two years as the starting fullback and goal-kicker, Burke gained early attention for scoring arguably one of the most impressive tries in Bledisloe Cup history during the second match of the 1996 tournament, held on 27 July at Brisbane's Lang Park.

To me, it was probably the single most special moment of Bledisloe Cup games that I know – to see that young man score[9]In 1997, Burke was excluded from the Wallabies by a groin strain suffered during the domestic season and he was temporarily replaced by Stephen Larkham; then also a goal-kicking fullback.

However he returned in time for the first Bledisloe Cup match in 1998, at the Melbourne Cricket Ground where he scored all 24 (2 tries, 1 conversion and 4 penalties) of the Wallabies points against New Zealand.

[10] Australia had not beaten the All Blacks for four years in a single game up to that point and this heralded not only an Australian comeback, but an unprecedented five-year domination of the tournament.

[11] In the dying minutes of that particular march, he gained some measure of redemption by scoring a match-winning try but was also afflicted by a serious shoulder injury[a] – sidelining him for the better part of the next year.

Despite making it back in the squad in time to contribute to the 1999 Rugby World Cup victory, it has been speculated that this injury affected his counter-attacking playing style and future fitness.

Latham, who had performed strongly at Super Rugby level began his test career with many costly defensive errors at fullback in 2000 and 2001– which initially helped to preserve Burke's place at the number 15 jersey.

Burke regained his starting fullback position for the Wallabies in the second test of the 2001 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia, after Latham was dropped for a poor performance in the first game of the series.

[13] This was Burke's first start in the number 15 jersey since the 1999 Rugby World Cup and he ended-up playing a starring role in the Australian comeback in the final two games.

In the deciding third game, both sides drew on tries and conversions but his five penalties against three by future Newcastle Falcons teammate Jonny Wilkinson left the hosts 29–23 winners at Sydney's Stadium Australia.

Midway through the 2003 Rugby World Cup he was axed from the starting line-up following a narrow pool win over Ireland (17–16); a match in which he was substituted after 64 minutes.

He was replaced by former professional rugby league footballer Mat Rogers, which drew mixed reactions and he would be relegated to the bench for the rest of his test career.

[15] In a sign of continued bad blood between the two, McKenzie would later ridicule suggestions that Burke would be recalled to the Australian Wallabies in 2007 (see below); describing it as return of the "superannuation crew".

He played his last international test for the Wallabies on 21 August 2004 against South Africa, coming off the bench for the final six minutes – where he missed a penalty attempt (Australia lost 23 – 19).

[16] Burke rejected this, citing commitments to his Newcastle side in the UK – but did state he would consider another approach regarding the 2007 Rugby World Cup.

[m] Had Burke come back to play for Australia – it would have set a new precedent as the ARU have stood firm in only considering Australia-based talent for Test selection since the game went professional in 1996.

[n] In May 2008 Burke announced his immediate retirement from playing after failing to recover from a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his knee suffered the previous October.

[25] Burke was voted starting fullback in the Wallaby Team of the Decade which celebrated the first ten years of professional rugby union, spanning 1996 to 2005.