 Burrow withEngland in 2008 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Robert Geoffrey Burrow[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1982-09-26)26 September 1982 Pontefract, West Yorkshire, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 2 June 2024(2024-06-02) (aged 41) Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 5 in (165 cm)[2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 10 st 6 lb (66 kg)[2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Scrum-half, Hooker | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Robert Geoffrey BurrowCBE (26 September 1982 – 2 June 2024) was an English professionalrugby league footballer who played as ascrum-half orhooker. Burrow spent his entire professional career with theLeeds Rhinos, making nearly 500 appearances as well as representingGreat Britain,England, andYorkshire.
At 5 ft 5 in (165 cm) tall and weighing 66 kg (146 lb), Burrow was known for many years as "the smallest player in Super League". Despite this, he was one of the most successful players in the competition's history, winning eight Super League championships, twoChallenge Cups, being named to theSuper League Dream Team on three occasions and winning theHarry Sunderland Trophy twice.
In December 2019, Burrow was diagnosed withmotor neurone disease (MND).[6] Following his diagnosis, Burrow raised awareness for MND with fellow playerKevin Sinfield. Both were awardedCBEs in 2024 because of their efforts in raising funds and awareness of the disease. He died from MND on 2 June 2024, aged 41.[7][8][9]
Robert Geoffrey Burrow was born inPontefract, West Yorkshire on 26 September 1982.[10] He was the son of Irene (née Bateman) and Geoffrey, a branch secretary for theGMB trade union,[11] and had two older sisters.[12] He grew up inCastleford,[13] and was educated atAiredale High School. He began playingrugby league at the age of seven for Castleford Panthers,[10] and later played at junior level withFeatherstone Lions.[14]
Burrow joinedLeeds Rhinos in 1999, and spent the next couple of years in the academy ranks.[15] He made his first team debut for Leeds in April 2001, appearing as a substitute in a defeat againstHull. He made his first start for the club a week later, scoring a try in a 6–36 defeat againstWarrington Wolves.[16] Burrow received further first team opportunities later in the season after Leeds first-choice scrum-half,Ryan Sheridan, was injured[17] and had a number of impressive performances, most notably scoring two tries in a 23–18 win against reigning championsSt Helens.[18] He was named the Super League Young Player of the Year at the end of the season.[19]
Burrow played in his first final during the 2003 season, appearing as a substitute in the2003 Challenge Cup final againstBradford Bulls at theMillennium Stadium, but suffered a concussion in the first half, and took no further part in the game as Leeds lost the match 20–22.[20]
Burrow played for theLeeds Rhinos from the interchange bench in their2004 Super League Grand Final victory against theBradford Bulls.[21] AsSuper League IX champions, the Rhinos faced2004 NRL season premiers,Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in the2005 World Club Challenge; Burrow played from the interchange bench, scoring atry in Leeds' 39–32 victory.[22] He played for Leeds in the2005 Challenge Cup Final at scrum half back in their loss againstHull FC.[23] Later that year he played for the Leeds Rhinos at stand-off half back in their2005 Super League Grand Final loss againstBradford Bulls.[24] He was named in the Super League Dream Team for 2005.[25]
Burrow was named as Leeds Rhinos Player of the Year for his performance throughout the 2007 season,[26] and was named in theSuper League Dream Team for the same year along with teammatesScott Donald,Jamie Peacock andGareth Ellis.[27] He was the winner of theHarry Sunderland Award for aman of the match performance in 2007'sSuper League XIIGrand Final, in which Leeds defeatedSt. Helens by 33 points to 6.[28]
Burrow was named in theSuper League Dream Team for 2008'sSuper League XIII season.[29] He played in the2008 Super League Grand Final victory overSt. Helens.[30]
Burrow played in the2009 Super League Grand Final victory overSt. Helens atOld Trafford.[31]
Burrow played in fiveChallenge Cup Finals in six years between 2010 and 2015. Leeds Rhinos lost three consecutive finals in2010,[32][33]2011,[34][35] and2012.[36][37] The team then won successive finals in2014[38] and2015.[39][40]
Burrow played in the 32–16 victory overSt Helens in the2011 Super League Grand Final.[41][42] His first-half try, a 50-metre solo effort,[43] was regarded as one of the greatest tries in Grand Final history.[44] He won the Harry Sunderland Award for the second time, when he was unanimously voted as man of the match.[45] He also played in the2012 Super League Grand Final victory over theWarrington Wolves,[46][47][37] and the2015 Super League Grand Final victory over theWigan Warriors.[48]
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Burrow announced his retirement in 2017.[49] His final match was the2017 Super League Grand Final in which he helped his club to victory over theCastleford Tigers atOld Trafford.[50][51][52]
On 12 January 2020, one month after hismotor neurone disease diagnosis, Burrow came out of retirement to play for Leeds in apre-season game againstBradford Bulls. The match was originally planned as atestimonial match forJamie Jones-Buchanan who retired after the2019 season, but was rebranded to "Jamie Jones-Buchanan testimonial and Rob Burrow support match", with a portion of the revenue going to MND support charities. The match was played by the Leeds first team, but saw a number of Jones-Buchanan's and Burrow's former teammates also come out of retirement for the match. Burrow came on as an interchange with five minutes left to play. Leeds won the match 34–10.[53]
Burrow made his debut forGreat Britain in the team's opening match of the2005 Tri-Nations againstNew Zealand.[54]
He was named in the squad for the2006 Tri-Nations, but did not make any appearances.
In June 2007, Burrow was called up to the Great Britain squad for thetest match againstFrance.[55] He played a pivotal role in helping Great Britain to a 3–0 victory over New Zealand in the Gillette Fusion Test series in 2007. He was awarded theGeorge Smith Medal as player of the series which he finished as top points scorer with 26 from two tries and nine goals.[56]
Burrow was selected for theEngland squad to compete in the2008 Rugby League World Cup tournament in Australia.[57] In the firstGroup A match againstPapua New Guinea, he played at scrum half back, with England winning the game.
He was not selected for England's2011 Four Nations campaign due to a rib injury.[58]
Burrow's final tournament for England was the2013 World Cup,[59] in which he scored one try in the final group game againstFiji.[60]
At 5 ft 5 in tall, Burrow was the smallest player in the Super League for many years during his career.[61][62] According to a teammate, his agility and quickness were phenomenal, which along with his low center of gravity, made him very difficult to defend.[15] He was often compared to other diminutive half-backs such asRoger Millward andAllan Langer.[18][63]
Burrow married his wife Lindsey in 2006. They met when they were both 15 and together have three children, two daughters, Macy and Maya, and a son, Jackson.[64] His autobiographyToo Many Reasons to Live was published in 2021,[65] and won the Autobiography of the Year at the 2022 Sports Book Awards.[66] He was a fan of the AmericanNFL football team theSeattle Seahawks.[67] In June 2024, Burrow’s wife Lindsey revealed that he had recorded a series of messages to be played for his children at special moments in their lives as they grow up.[68]
On 19 December 2019, Burrow revealed that he had been diagnosed withmotor neurone disease (MND).[6]
Burrow died atPinderfields Hospital from complications of motor neurone disease, on 2 June 2024, aged 41.[7][8][9]
On 3 June, a minute's silence was held for Burrow atSt James' Park ahead of theEngland national football team'sUEFA Euro 2024 warm up fixture againstBosnia and Herzegovina.[69]
During the 2024 Cup Finals Day atWembley Stadium on 8 June (featuring the2024 Challenge Cup final,2024 Women's Challenge Cup final, and2024 1895 Cup final), a memorial for Burrow was created at the rugby league statue. A minute's silence was held ahead of each match with a minute's applause carried out in the 7th minute of each game.[70]
On 21 June,Leeds Rhinos's first home game following Burrow's death, a similar memorial was created at theJohn Holmes statue with a video celebrating his life being played in the stadium before kick-off.[71]
Burrow's funeral was held at 1pm on 7 July 2024. A specialised route was put in place for the rugby league community to pay their respects. The cortege drove past Featherstone Lions ARLFC, Burrow's childhood club, before heading towards Pontefract Crematorium for a private ceremony.Kevin Sinfield, along with 160 guests including Rob's family all paid respects at his funeral.
On 26 July 2024, an episode ofCoronation Street was dedicated to Burrow. The episode consisted of the characterPaul Foreman (Peter Ash) struggling withMND. At the end of the episode a picture of Burrow at theRovers Return was shown with a message below stating "Friend and Advisor of Coronation Street".[72]
A year on from his death, Burrow's former school, Airedale Academy, opened its new gym, naming it the "Rob Burrow Fitness Suite".[73]
In September 2021, an appeal was launched to build a care centre for MND patients in the Leeds area, which would be named the Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease.[74][75] To raise money for the facility, the annual Leeds Half Marathon was paired with a full marathon named the Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon. Since 2023, both marathons are run on the second Sunday in May.[76]
In 2023 theBBC documentaryRob Burrow: Living with MND won documentary of the year at the28th National Television Awards.[77]
In February 2024 the RFL announced that an award for the Super League Grand Final player of the match would be introduced, replacing the Harry Sunderland Trophy, and will be called theRob Burrow Award.[78]
Burrow was appointedMember of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the2021 New Year Honours for services to rugby league and the motor neurone disease community[79] and promoted toCommander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the2024 New Year Honours for services to motor neurone disease awareness.[80]
At the time of his death, Burrow had raised over £6 million for motor neurone disease awareness and treatment charities. The day following his death, work began on The Rob Burrow Centre: 3 June was a pre-scheduled date. Burrow had a hand in the design and creation of the facility.[9] The centre is expected to open later in 2025.[81]
In September 2025,Northern Trains unveiled a namedClass 195 train, 195107Rob Burrow CBE, in a publicised ceremony.[82]
Club[26]
Individual
Orders and special awards
