| Born | 25 February 1999 Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 90 kg (198 lb; 14 st 2 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Holy Cross College | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Max Burey (born 25 February 1999) is an Australian rugby union player who plays for the Waratahs in the Super Rugby. Burey's primary position is fly-half, although he frequently plays fullback.
Burey has represented Northern Suburbs club in Sydney's Shute Shield competition since he was a teenager. He had previously trained with the Western Force, but didn't earn a contract, and instead represented the Australian sevens team. He had previously played rugby league before converting to union.
Burey was called into the Force side for their eleventh round match against the Crusaders of the 2023 season. Kicking one conversion and two penalty goals, the Force lost 13–48 in Christchurch. Burey went on to start in every remaining Force fixture of the season, scoring a try in their final round match against the Chiefs, his first senior try. In June 2023, he re-signed for the side until 2025.
Burey was named as the Force's secondary playmaker in their inaugural Super Rugby AUS squad, announced in August 2025. Burey started every match of the four-game campaign, scoring three tries and contributing 30 points overall as the side secured a runners-up finish. Burey was later named Player of the Tournament, the first in the competition's history.
In April and May 2026, Burey was cited in The Sydney Morning Herald and The Australian as having transferred to Australian rival club of the Force, the Sydney-based Waratahs. The Force confirmed in June that Burey had departed the club, although no official confirmation was made public.
At the time of Burey's signing, the Waratahs had experienced significant turnover at fly-half, with multiple players moving through the role. The side had also faced challenges with player availability, squad depth, establishing a consistent first-choice No. 10, and developing continuity in the playmaking partnership with the scrum-half. Burey became the third fly-half to sign with the Waratahs in as many years (following Lawson Creighton and Jack Debreczeni), with exits of various players, including Ben Donaldson and Tane Edmed. Such were the issues at the team, in February 2026 The Sydney Morning Herald wrote: "The Waratahs No.10 jersey is one of the most scrutinised in Australian rugby, and the wearer has become like a referee: if they come off after a game and no one is talking about them, then it was a job well done."
In June 2026, with one year still left on his contract, Waratahs head coach Dan McKellar resigned, effective immediately. Earlier in the season, McKellar confirmed that all three Waratahs contracted fly-halves were to prove their right to stay at the team beyond 2026.
In August 2026, Burey was finally confirmed as the Waratahs' latest signing, joining on a two-year deal ahead of their 2027 season. After initially being left out of the Waratahs squad for the 2026 Super Rugby AUS competition due to a contract dispute between the Waratahs and Force, Burey was later admitted into the team and named in their starting squad in the first round.
| Club | Season | League | Other | Total | ||||||||||||||||
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| Division | Apps | Tries | Con. | Pen. | Drop | Points | Apps | Tries | Con. | Pen. | Drop | Points | Apps | Tries | Con. | Pen. | Drop | Points | ||
| Force | 2023 | Super Rugby Pacific | 5 | 1 | 12 | 5 | 0 | 44 | — | 5 | 1 | 12 | 5 | 0 | 44 | |||||
| 2024 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | — | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |||||||
| 2025 | 11 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 13 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 30 | 16 | 3 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 43 | ||
| 2026 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 13 | — | 8 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 13 | |||||||
| Total | 33 | 3 | 18 | 8 | 0 | 75 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 30 | 38 | 6 | 24 | 9 | 0 | 105 | ||
Individual
The Waratahs have spoken recently about the value of having a senior statesman at No.10, where they can mentor a stable of younger playmakers. The Tahs are talking with veteran No.10 Jack Debreczeni about extending his one-season deal, and also have Joey Fowler and the recently signed Max Burey. The future of Jack Bowen, who is off contract and has only played once this season, is uncertain.
NSW did sign Western Force utility Max Burey earlier this season, and he could fill in at five-eighth, but it's hardly shouting premiership ambitions for 2027.
The Waratahs No.10 jersey is one of the most scrutinised in Australian rugby, and the wearer has become like a referee: if they come off after a game and no one is talking about them, then it was a job well done.