The private funeral of renowned rugby player Rob Burrow is scheduled to take place in Pontefract today. Burrow, who passed away at the age of 41 on June 2, devoted his last years to raising awareness about motor neurone disease (MND) and raised millions of pounds for research into the degenerative condition. While the service will be held at Pontefract Crematorium, members of the public are invited to line the funeral cortege’s route. Leeds Rhinos, Burrow’s former team, has published details of the route, asking the public to be in position from 13:00 BST.
Burrow enjoyed a successful 17-year career that boasted eight Super League Grand Finals, three World Club Challenges, and two Challenge Cups. However, in 2019, he was diagnosed with MND, two years after his retirement from the sport. In less than five years since his diagnosis, Burrow and his former teammate and close friend Kevin Sinfield raised more than £15m for MND charities. He was made an MBE in the 2021 New Year Honours for his contribution to rugby league and the MND community. In 2024, he was promoted to a CBE.
The funeral route, which Rhinos has published to allow the public to “pay their respects before allowing Rob’s family and friends to grieve his loss in private,” will take Burrow’s funeral cortege along the A656 (Park Road) and the A639 towards Pontefract. The route will pass several significant locations, including Featherstone Lions ARLFC’s ground on Wakefield Road, near where he played junior rugby. At the War Horse sculpture, the cars will turn left, slowing as the procession passes through Featherstone and onto Pontefract Lane, heading towards the crematorium. Once the procession approaches the crematorium, members of the public are requested to leave the vicinity to ensure Burrow’s family has a few moments of privacy.
Former Burrow coach, Bob Woodhead, praises his protege as a “keen, enthusiastic and polite young man.” He is quoted as saying, “in my eyes, he was one of the best players in the Super League era. But as a person, he was just a lovely, lovely lad, and I’m proud to have met him.” He added that Burrow was not the type of person who would turn anyone away for a photo or autograph
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More