Mike Burak

Mike went to Lord Byng High School and then the University of British Columbia where he played basketball and also rugby before graduating with a BA and a major in Psychology minor in Sociology. He also played soccer, ice-hockey, volleyball and baseball.

His real introduction to rugby came when Lord Byngh's coach, Spence McTavish, a former captain of Canada, suggested he took up the game after watching him play volleyball.

On graduation Mike went off backpacking to Australia in 2003, where he watched Canada play Wales and New Zealand in the Rugby World Cup. Whilst watching the matches in Melbourne he felt that if he worked hard and things went his way, then he might very well play for his country in the next tournament. He had set that as his goal.

On his return to Canada he played his club rugby with UBC Old Boy Ravens in Vancouver, as did Stan McKeen, helping them reach the Premier League final in 2004. In the same year he also made his international debut against the USA, in the Super Powers Cup competition played in Japan.

Mike's rugby experiences broadened when he went back to Australia and had a spell playing for Northern Suburbs in Sydney, competing against Wallabies and Super 14 players in an environment where you learn to sink or swim pretty quickly.

In 2006, Mike joined Pau, playing in the French Pro D2 League, it tough physically and different from the way the game was played in Australia. However, he enjoyed the challenge and relished using his strength to, in his own words, "hit rucks and mauls and give a good shove in the scrums."

The autumn of 2007 saw his dream of playing for his country in the Rugby World Cup become a reality, with his next goal now set to help the Cornish Pirates achieve their push for the top.