Ken Burke

John Kenneth Burke was an Australian rugby union player.
Born in Newcastle, [New South Wales|Newcastle], Burke learned his rugby during his years at St Joseph's College, Hunters Hill, before finishing his schooling in Bathurst, where he attended St Stanislaus' College.
Burke, a left-footed fullback, joined Wanderers on his return to Newcastle in 1925. He represented a NSW XV which faced the 1926 [New Zealand rugby union tour of New South Wales|touring 1926 New Zealand team] and was a state reserve, backing up Alex Ross during their matches against the All Blacks. Only one fullback was selected for the 1927–28 [New South Wales rugby union tour of the British Isles, France and Canada|1927–28 Waratahs tour], with Ross preferred over Burke. He was a member of an Australian XV in 1929, playing a match against New Zealand, then sat as a Australia national [rugby union team|Wallabies] reserve for the final Test in Sydney.
During World War II, Burke served as a commando in Ethiopia.