Premiership Rugby have confirmed they will honour rugby league legend Rob Burrow with a minutes applause at the Premiership final on Saturday.
In conjunction with the RFL’s tribute at the Challenge Cup final on the same day, a round of applause will be held in the seventh minute of the game to pay tribute to the former number seven.
Burrow sadly passed away on Sunday evening after a five year battle with MND.
The Castleford native made his debut for Leeds Rhinos back in 2001, and went onto make 492 appearances for the club. During his time at Headingley, he also won eight Super League Grand Finals, three League Leaders Shields, three World Club Challenges and two Challenge Cups. He hung up his boots in 2017.
He also won one the Harry Sunderland Award twice in his career (the Man of the Match award in the Super League Grand Final), and this has since been named the Rob Burrow Award in his honour.
Following his diagnosis in 2019, Burrow and long-term friend and teammate Kevin Sinfield helped raise crucial funds and awareness for MND. Together, the pair helped raise £20 million towards MND causes, including £6 million for the Rob Burrow Centre for MND in Leeds. The pair were also awarded MBE’s in 2019, and back in January were awarded CBE’s.
READ NEXT: “The world has lost a great man”-Kevin Sinfield’s touching tribute to Rob Burrow
For information on how to donate to help build the Rob Burrow Centre for MND, click here.
Kevin Sinfield’s touching tribute to Rob Burrow
Current England coach Kevin Sinfield paid an emotional tribute to long-term friend Rob Burrow on Sunday evening.
The pair were at the heart of Leeds’ golden generation, and have since led the fight against MND.
In a statement published on Leeds Rhinos twitter page, Sinfield said: “Today was the day that I hoped would never come. The world has lost a great man and a wonderful friend to so many.
“You fought so bravely until the end and became a beacon of hope and inspiration, not only for the MND community but for all those who saw and heard your story.
“My love and thoughts go to your beautiful family, Lindsey, Macy, Maya and Jackson, to your lovely parents Geoff and Irene, sisters Joanne and Claire and your wider family and friends.
“You will continue to inspire me every single day. I have lost a dear friend and I will never forget the special times we shared both on and off the pitch.
“I would always say that you were pound for pound the toughest player I ever played alongside, however, since your diagnosis, you were the toughest and bravest man I ever met.
“The last four-and-a-half years you showed the world what living and loving looked like and this was always done with the biggest smile on your face.
“I will miss you my little mate. All my love, Kev X”
The thoughts of everyone at Rugby Nause News are with the Burrow family.
