Rob Burrow’s family and Leeds Rhinos confirm funeral plans for July 7

Leeds Rhinos and the Burrow family have confirmed the funeral of Rob Burrow CBE will take place on Sunday, July 7.

The date is notable as the one that the club use to annually celebrate Rob Burrow Day because of the iconic No 7 shirt he wore during his career.

The Leeds Rhinos great died at the age of 41 on June 2, having dedicated the last four-and-a-half years of his life to raising money and awareness for motor neurone disease causes after being diagnosed with the condition in December 2019.

• ‘Don’t waste a moment’ – Rob Burrow’s final message
• ‘Toughest and bravest man’ – Tributes pour in for ‘loving’ Burrow
• Donate to the MND Association now

Burrow won eight Super League titles, two Challenge Cup trophies and three World Club Challenges at Leeds, while he also represented England and Great Britain internationally.

The planned service will be private and for invited guests only, but the route for Burrow’s final journey has been published and members of the public are invited to stand on the roadside to pay their respects as the funeral cortege progresses.

Leeds City Council and the Lord Mayor of Leeds will also host an invite only civic reception in honour of Rob on Friday, July 12 at 11am.

Leeds honour ‘little warrior’ Burrow with tributes and victory

Last week, ahead of the Super League match between Leeds Rhinos and Leigh Leopards, his boyhood club and Sky Sports paid tribute to the “little warrior” who left a gigantic mark.

On Global MND Awareness day, a packed out Headingley Stadium was pulsing with emotion as family, friends, and fans alike came together to celebrate Leeds’ greatest No 7 who raised millions for the disease he battled valiantly since his diagnosis.

Sky Sports’ Rugby League’s Jamie Jones-Buchanan described the moment as Burrow’s “brothers and sisters” bringing the tribute into the “inner sanctum” – and that they did, his wife Lindsey Burrow, his parents Irene and Geoff Burrow, plus 80 of his former team-mates coming from as far as Australia and New Zealand to celebrate his legacy.

A powerful rendition of Nessun Dorma soundtracked the fireworks and applause as the celebration of Burrow’s life took to the pitch, the Rhinos players wearing a special jersey designed by Cath Muir, who herself was diagnosed with MND in 2014.

Video tributes also came in from stars across codes and sports, starting with a message from Burrow’s close friend and fellow MND campaigner Kevin Sinfield CBE, Alan Shearer also leaving a message that the sporting world will “remember Rob Burrow forever”.

It was a fittingly emotional build-up that looked to raise vital funds. Every day six people are diagnosed with motor neurone disease and every day six people die of the disease. There is no cure. The money raised as part of the MND Awareness game is hoping to change that.

The Rhinos came away with a much-needed 18-10 victory, Brodie Croft pointed to the sky, Geoff Burrow cheered, and the lasting memory from June 21, 2024 will be a night that remembered one of rugby league’s greats.

You can donate to the MND Association at www.mndassociation.org/skysports and on Sky Sports’ digital and social platforms.