Rob Burrow death – updates: Tributes pour in as MND campaigner and Leeds rugby league legend dies at 41

Rob Burrow was an “incredible man” who deserves “love and respect” for drawing attention to MND, Alastair Campbell has said.

The former Labour spinner said on X: “So sad.

“What an incredible man who deserves all the love and respect in the world for the attention he brought to this horrible illness. Thoughts with his family and with Kevin Sinfield who has shown friendship at its best.”

Prince William has paid tribute to Burrows.

In a personally signed message on X, the Prince of Wales wrote: “A legend of Rugby League, Rob Burrow had a huge heart.

“He taught us, ‘in a world full of adversity, we must dare to dream.’ Catherine and I ship our like to Lindsey, Jackson, Maya and Macy. W”

The Leeds Rhinos admirable hung up his boots on the finish of the 2017 season and was once simply coming into his stride as trainer of the membership’s academy group when the scoop got here that he was once affected by the incurable infection.

Rob Burrow was once a “consistent and passionate advocate” for crowd affected by motor neurone infection, the MND Affiliation has stated.

The 41-year-old former rugby league participant, who was once a patron of the organisation, died four-and-a-half years upcoming his personal motor neurone infection prognosis.

In a remark, the affiliation stated Burrow “lived with this brutal disease in the public eye after choosing to announce his diagnosis shortly before Christmas 2019. He used every opportunity to raise awareness of the disease, speaking publicly, undertaking media interviews and opening his life up in two moving BBC documentaries My Year With MND and Rob Burrow: Living With MND.

“He remained a consistent and passionate advocate for people with MND – he became the first person to use a communications aid to read a bedtime story on CBeebies. And he joined the United To End MND coalition which successfully campaigned for a £50 million Government investment in targeted MND research”.

It added: “It is testament to the strength of feeling people have for Rob that the support in his name has never wavered.

“The MND Association is incredibly grateful to Rob and his family for helping to raise awareness of MND, and funds for the Association, by sharing the details of their journey and by inspiring so many people both within the MND community and the wider public.”

Rishi Sunak stated Burrow was once “an inspiration to everyone” as he paid tribute to him.

He wrote on X: “Rob was an inspiration to everyone who met him or who heard his incredible story. I was honoured to spend some time with him last year.

“He drove a fundraising campaign that supports vital new research improving the care for others – not least through the creation of The Rob.”

Sir Keir Starmer stated Rob Burrow leaves at the back of an “incredible legacy” as he paid tribute to the previous rugby participant.

He wrote on X: “Extremely sad news.

“Rob leaves behind an incredible legacy in his work to raise awareness and advocate for those with Motor Neurone Disease.

“My thoughts are with his family and friends through this time.”

Along with his illustrious rugby league profession, Burrow’s legacy can be one among abundance fundraising for the MND public with the assistance of admirable good friend and previous team-mate, Sinfield.

Sinfield, who has been the defence trainer of England’s rugby union group, has raised greater than £8m for a number of MND reasons having undertaken various operating and perpetuity demanding situations in celebrate of Burrow.

Having retired in 2017, Burrow introduced his MND prognosis in December 2019.

As his situations worsened, Burrow persevered to constitute a society face for the ones identified with the situation as he championed larger funding in remedy for the situation and assist amenities for many who have been identified.

He was once the point of interest of the BBC’s award-winning documentary Rob Burrow: Residing with MND, which informed the tale of Burrow’s worsening situation as the previous athlete persevered to fight month his two-year era expectancy with MND in 2022 along the aid of his spouse and youngsters Lindsey and his 3 kids, Macy, Maya and Jackson.

Burrow made his skilled debut for Leeds Rhinos in 2001 in opposition to Hull FC sooner than happening to experience a trophy-laden profession on the Yorkshire membership.

In spite of his measurement at simply 5 toes 5 inches, the previous scrum half of would advance directly to method an integral a part of the Rhinos’ aspect all over the 2000s and 2010s, scoring 198 tries in 493 video games all over a 16-year enchanment on the membership which noticed him grow to be one of the adorned avid gamers in Tremendous League historical past.

Having gained his first Tremendous League championship in 2004, Burrow would advance directly to win the championship an additional seven occasions in his profession. He additionally gained two Problem Cups with Leeds in 2014 and 2015 and was once two times awarded the Harry Sunderland Trophy – for a man-of-the-match efficiency within the Tremendous League ultimate – in 2007 and 2011.

Along his membership profession, Burrow additionally made 15 appearances for England, scoring 12 tries, and featured within the 2008 Rugby League Global Cup the place England reached the semi-finals.

Burrow introduced his resignation in 2017 and made his ultimate look instead within the 2017 Tremendous League lavish ultimate as Leeds Rhinos gained 24-6 in opposition to Castleford. He next was the 16th inductee into the Leeds Rhino’s Corridor of Status in 2020.

Burrow, who performed 493 occasions for Leeds and was once capped 15 occasions for his nation, raised hundreds of thousands of kilos along former teammate Kevin Sinfield for diverse MND charities and the Rob Burrow Centre for MND Enchantment in Leeds following his prognosis in 2019.

He was once given an MBE within the 2021 Unused Day’s Honours Listing for his services and products to Rugby League and the motor neurone infection public having spent his years with the infection campaigning for extra analysis into the situation and progressed assist situations for the ones affected by MND.