NEWCASTLE Falcons have suffered another blow with the retirement of Australian full back Matthew Burke.

It was hoped the 35-year-old former club captain would be fit to play next season, but after spending seven months recovering from a torn anterior cruciate knee ligament he has decided to end his glittering playing career.

A World Cup winner with Australia in 1999, Burke won 81 caps in a ten-year international career and scored 878 points before he retired from Test rugby in June 2004 and joined the Falcons.

He scored 26 tries and a total of 430 points in his 81 games for the club before suffering his injury against Bath last October.

Burke said: "I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Newcastle. To have played week in, week out in front of what I thought was one of the best groups of supporters of a club gave me a great sense of pride. One of my best memories is listening to the South Stand chanting Burkey is a Geordie'."

His retirement follows the exits of three of the club's top young backs in Toby Flood, Mathew Tait and Lee Dickson.

Flood and Tait team up at centre in the England team to play the Barbarians at Twickenham on Sunday.

Newcastle Falcons' Michael Young has been called up to the England Sevens squad and Newcastle's former West Hartlepool scrum half Micky Young has replaced Lee Dickson in the squad.

In the last round of the IRB Sevens Series, England will face pool matches against Portugal, Russia and New Zealand.