Mike Burton (rugby union) Mike Burton (rugby union) Michael Alan "Mike" Burton (born 18 December 1945 in Maidenhead) is a former English rugby union footballer, who won a reputation as an uncompromising prop forward for Gloucester, England and the British and Irish Lions. Burton arrived at Kingsholm from the local club Longlevens RFC and made his debut in the Gloucester front row at the age of 18 on 14 November, 1964. He went on to make 366 appearances before retiring in 1978. He was captain of Gloucester in the 1975 season and played 50 times at provincial level for Gloucestershire including 39 appearances in
Melbourne Rugby Union Football Club in 1888. Three games are recorded as being played that year:- one against a British touring team and two against a New Zealand Natives side. The match against the British was lost, but the second Natives' games was a draw; the game they play in heaven had arrived in Victoria. Until the establishment of Melbourne Rugby club, Victorian rugby was a somewhat stop start affair, due in no small part to World War I. The Victorian Rugby Union (VRU) was established in early 1926 when Melbourne and the five other clubs then playing Rugby League, St Kilda, Melbourne University, Kiwis,