| Having put pen to paper on his move to Kingston park, the 31-year-old said: "I am delighted to have signed for Newcastle Falcons and am looking forward to the next phase of my career and to playing in the Zurich Premiership and the Heineken Cup.
"Newcastle have already had great success both on and off the field in a very short period of time and, with the signings that have been made I am looking forward to helping the club build on this success.
"I am impressed with the ambition of the club and am keen to be a part of the next phase for Newcastle."
Falcons director of rugby Rob Andrew said of his transfer coup: "Matthew is one of the biggest names in world rugby, and it represents massive ambition on behalf of the club that we have managed to attract a player of his quality.
"He's been one of the most solid players at international level for a long time now, and we expect his experience and skill to have a major impact on the English and European stage.
"Matthew has played in a lot of different positions, all with great success, and we believe his presence at Newcastle can be a real driving force," he added.
Burke won 77 caps for the Wallabies, the last of which came last Sunday against Scotland in Melbourne, in a ten-year international career and played a key part in the 1999 World Cup winning Australian side.
Newcastle open their 2004/5 season away to newly promoted Worcester Warriors on September 4.
|
