World Cup winning Wallaby Matthew Burke, who has spent the last four seasons playing in the UK, has announced his immediate retirement from rugby.

The 35-year-old fullback tore an anterior cruciate knee ligament while playing for the Newcastle Falcons in October last year.

After seven months of rehabilitation Burke has reluctantly decided to draw the curtain on his glittering playing career.

A World Cup winner with Australia in 1999, Burke scored 24 points against South Africa in the semi-final, before bettering that total with 25 against France in a dramatic final in Cardiff.

An 11-year international career saw him rack up 81 caps for the Wallabies, with his tally of 878 points being the fifth highest of all time when he retired from Test rugby in June 2004, as well as the second highest in Australian history.

After retiring from representative duties in 2004, Burke signed on with the Newcastle Falcons.

Fresh from losing his Waratahs contract Burke silenced the critics, hitting back with 26 tries and a total of 430 points in his 81 games for the Falcons before injury struck.

"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.

"Playing with some of the game's best talent certainly gave me motivation to continue my rugby and to keep contributing to the game.

"To have experienced the English premiership and the Heineken Cup and the high standard of play was a privilege to be a part of.

Falcons chairman Dave Thompson said Burke 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," he said.

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