Not too many footballers reach the pinnacle of their sport, while along the way being sledged by ball-boys, mystified by the ‘coffee-table’ rule, terrified by Jonah Lomu and sharing a rum and Coke with the future King of England. Not to mention scoring 25 points in a World Cup final. Yes, you could say that Wallaby legend Matt Burke had some interesting times during his illustrious career.
In Kicking It Around the Globe, Matt takes us behind the scenes, inside the four walls of the change room and the four lines of the football pitch, with revealing, often hilarious tales of his playing days. There are the trials and tribulations – being clobbered on his club debut for Eastwood as a 17-year-old and fumbling embarrassingly in his first match for the Wallabies. There are the better times too – Matt’s stellar performance in the unforgettable 1999 World Cup final and his breathtaking Bledisloe Cup-winning penalty in 2002. And all with the banter in the background of teammates, opponents, referees, ball-boys and the occasional less-than-helpful member of the crowd.
Kicking It Around the Globe is an insider’s view of the passion and humour of the world of rugby, seen through the eyes of one of its finest players.
