Rob Burrow dies: Leeds United captain Liam Cooper pays heartfelt tribute to Leeds Rhinos legend
Leeds United captain Liam Cooper is among those to have paid a heartfelt tribute to Leeds Rhinos legend Rob Burrow.
Burrow has died at the age of 41, having been diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND) in 2019. The news was announced by the Rhinos, who Burrow spent the entirety of his glittering rugby league career with.
Tributes have flooded in and Cooper has taken to social media to pay his own. He has hailed Burrow as an “inspiration”, issuing a rallying cry to keep the fight for an MND cure going in his name.
He said: “My prayers are with Lindsey, Rob’s beautiful kids as well as the rest of his family and friends - especially Kev [Sinfield]. I was honoured to spend a little time with Rob, we all know what an inspiration he was. Let’s keep the fight going in his name. Rest in peace Rob.”
A statement issued by Leeds United read: “Everyone at LUFC is devastated to learn of the passing of Rob Burrow CBE. Our thoughts are with Rob’s family, friends, all at Leeds Rhinos and the MND community at this incredibly sad time. RIP legend.”
After being diagnosed with MND, Burrow became a fiercely passionate campaigner for funding and awareness. Work is set to begin on the development of The Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease, which will be a specialist MND centre.
His former teammate and close friend, Kevin Sinfield, has played a significant role in fundraising for the centre and has also shared a touching tribute. In a statement, he said: “The world has lost a great man and a wonderful friend to so many. You fought so bravely until the end and became a beacon of hope and inspiration, not only for the MND community but for all those who saw and heard your story.”