Hundreds of mourners turn out for Rob Burrow’s funeral as rugby league hero is laid to rest on poignant date
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.
PAHundreds of people have gathered to farewell Rob Burrow at his funeral today[/caption]
GettyThe rugby league star tragically died last month[/caption]
PABurrow’s pal Kevin Sinfield and his wife Jayne today arrived at Pontefract Crematorium, West Yorkshire[/caption]
SWNSMany donned their Leeds Rhino shirts[/caption]
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.
The dad-of-three had been diagnosed with MND in 2019Getty
SWNSCrowds have started gathering to farewell him[/caption]
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.
