Hundreds of mourners have this afternoon lined the streets to farewell rugby league legend Rob Burrow.
The Leeds Rhinos and England star passed away on June 2 after a long battle with motor neurone disease (MND), aged just 41.
He died in hospital near his West Yorkshire home hours before ground was broken on a new centre for MND research – which is set to bear his name.
And today Burrow’s loved ones, and mourners, will get to say their final goodbyes.
Hundreds of mourners had already started lining the streets to pay their respects as Burrow is driven to a private service.
The roads were coloured blue as seas of people donned their Leeds Rhino shirts.
The date – July 7 – is when the club celebrates Rob Burrow Day to match his number 7 shirt.
The dad-of-three, who was diagnosed with MND in 2019, has long campaigned for the cause.
In the five years following his revelation Burrow, along with former teammate and close friend Kevin Sinfield, campaigned tirelessly to raise awareness and funds to help MND charities.
This included Sinfield running seven marathons in as many days in December 2020, raising over £1.7 million and culminating in a touching moment where he and Burrow crossed the finish line together.
Both were awarded CBEs in 2024 for their efforts.
Sinfield was seen walking hand-in-hand with his wife Jayne as they entered Pontefract Crematorium today.
The star, who was dressed in black, appeared emotional.
Mourners were invited to pay their respects by lining the route from 1pm.
The procession will pass along the A656 and A639, passing the local racecourse, before turning onto the B6133.
It will then pass the town’s War Horse sculpture and slow as it passes Featherstone Lions ARLFC, Burrow’s childhood club.
The public are then asked to “leave this part of the journey” as the cars approach the crematorium to allow the Burrow family “a few moments to themselves” before the service.
Rhinos added that the family “politely request” members of the public not to send flowers, but instead to make a donation to the Rob Burrow Fund or the Leeds Hospitals Charity in his memory.
It comes after Burrow’s wife Lindsey paid an emotional tribute to her late husband, saying he “made the world a better place”.
Elsewhere, current and former Rhinos players shared their memories of the club legend and explained how much he means to them.
It was the club that announced Burrow’s death on June 2.
It said in a heartbreaking statement: “It is with deep sadness that the club can confirm that former player Rob Burrow CBE has passed away, aged 41.
“Rob inspired the entire country with his brave battle against Motor Neurone Disease (MND) since his diagnosis in December 2019.
“He passed away peacefully at Pinderfield’s Hospital near his home surrounded by his loving family after becoming ill earlier this week.
“Burrow played his entire career with Leeds Rhinos and won every honour with the club as part of their golden generation.
“A hard working and dedicated player, his fearless performances made him one of the most respected players in the Rhinos ranks.
“Rob rose through the club’s academy ranks to make his debut in 2001.
“In 2004, he was part of the Leeds team that ended a 32-year wait to win the Championship with victory in the Grand Final.
“It was the first of eight Grand Final wins for Burrow including winning the man of the match award in the 2007 and 2011 Old Trafford showpieces.
“The 2011 game included his breath-taking try that is still regarded as the greatest Grand Final try ever scored.
“In total he made 492 appearances for the club, placing him in fifth in the club’s all-time list of career appearances. He scored 196 tries for a total of 1,103 points.
“He was capped 15 times by England and played five more tests for Great Britain including a Man of the Series performance in 2007 for the national side.
“He won the Challenge Cup at Wembley in 2014 and 2015 as well as three World Club Challenges and three League Leaders Shields.
“Following his MND diagnosis in December 2019, Burrow and his family took the decision to open their doors to show the impact of the disease and raise awareness and funds for the MND community.
“Since then Burrow has inspired two award-winning documentaries, wrote a best selling autobiography, hosted an award-winning podcast and was awarded a CBE from HRH Prince William at AMT Headingley in January 2023.
“Along with his friend and former team-mate Kevin Sinfield, Burrow has inspired nearly £20m in fundraising across the UK and Ireland.
“This has included raising over £6m to build the Rob Burrow Centre for MND in Leeds as a lasting legacy for those who follow him in their own personal battles with the disease.
“On behalf of the Burrow family, we would like to thank the staff at Pindersfield Hospital for their compassion and caring for Rob in his final days.
“Fittingly, as a tribute to the incredible work done by Rob, the groundbreaking of the new Rob Burrow Centre for MND at Seacroft Hospital on Monday will go ahead as planned at Rob’s request.
“At this time, we would ask that everyone respect the privacy of the Burrow family.”
By Gary Carter
Rob Burrow has provided hundreds of thousands more reasons why he truly was one in a million.
For a six-figure sum of funds has been donated to causes associated with the rugby league legend since he passed away.
Thousands of well-wishers are expected to line the route as his funeral cortege travels through his home area in West Yorkshire, where he first played as a kid, today.
But in a symbol of his work in raising funds for treatment of and awareness of motor neurone disease (MND), which he lived with for four-and-a-half years, hundreds of thousands of pounds have flooded in since he died on Sunday, June 2.
Within 48 hours, the MND Association reported more than £150,000 had been donated to their cause, while a fund set up to support his family is almost at that mark.
And the Leeds Hospitals Charity – which is spearheading the building of the Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease, which started at the city’s Seacroft Hospital the day after his death, says more than £250,000 has been donated to the appeal since his passing, taking that to more than £6.2million – making the accumulated total at least £500,000.
Burrow’s former Leeds captain, big mate Kevin Sinfield, who has flown back from England RU’s New Zealand tour to be there today, has raised millions for MND charities with four physical challenges – and a fifth taking place in December.
And as the target of £6.8m for the centre nears, celebrities including RU legend Mike Tindall and athletics icon Dame Kelly Holmes have donated items for the ‘Dare To Dream’ online auction.
Lots include tickets for England v Finland in football’s Nations League, Super League’s Magic Weekend at Elland Road and a limited-edition England Rugby Union Shirt, signed by the 2003 winning World Cup squad.
Outside sport, comedian Jon Richardson has donated a Countdown teapot, two tickets to a TV show screening and the chance to be a guest on his podcast Down the Dog.
He said: “When I was asked to help with fundraising for Rob’s MND centre, I was terrified I would be asked to run 10 marathons in a week, so I’m obviously delighted to be asked to simply offer up an auction prize while Sir Kev does the proper graft.
“We are just at the dawn of Rob’s legacy and it’s an honour to play even a small role in what will be years and years of life-changing work that was enabled by the strength and personality and drive of this incredible man.”
The auction runs until Thursday and all profits will go towards the appeal to build the Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease.
Burrow’s wife Lindsey, a patron of Leeds Hospitals Charity, said: “Rob made a lot of friends and always made an impact on people when he met them.
“It’s amazing that so many of our podcast guests and other celebrities we’ve met have come together to donate these incredible prizes for the MND Centre Appeal.
“I’m so grateful to everyone who’s helping to make this centre a reality.”
A private funeral will take place at Pontefract Crematorium today,with the seventh of the seventh being designated as Rob Burrow Day because of the iconic number seven shirt he wore.
Starting in neighbouring Castleford, well-wishers have been asked to be in position by the roadside from 1pm after a route was made public.
It will slow for a moment at Featherstone Lions ARLFC’s ground and again near to where the 41-year-old played his junior rugby.
