1. Robert Geoffrey Burrow was an English professional rugby league footballer who played as a scrum-half or hooker.
36 Facts About Rob Burrow
1. 2.
In December 2019, Rob Burrow was diagnosed with motor neurone disease.
3.
Robert Geoffrey Burrow was born in Pontefract, West Yorkshire on 26 September 1982.
4.
Rob Burrow was the son of Irene and Geoffrey, a branch secretary for the GMB trade union, and had two older sisters.
5.
Rob Burrow grew up in Castleford, and was educated at Airedale High School.
6.
Rob Burrow began playing rugby league at the age of seven for Castleford Panthers, and later played at junior level with Featherstone Lions.
7.
Rob Burrow joined Leeds Rhinos in 1999, and spent the next couple of years in the academy ranks.
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Rob Burrow made his first team debut for Leeds in April 2001, appearing as a substitute in a defeat against Hull.
9.
Rob Burrow was named the Super League Young Player of the Year at the end of the season.
10.
Rob Burrow played for the Leeds Rhinos from the interchange bench in their 2004 Super League Grand Final victory against the Bradford Bulls.
11.
Rob Burrow played for Leeds in the 2005 Challenge Cup Final at scrum half back in their loss against Hull FC.
12.
Rob Burrow was named in the Super League Dream Team for 2005.
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Rob Burrow was named as Leeds Rhinos Player of the Year for his performance throughout the 2007 season, and was named in the Super League Dream Team for the same year along with teammates Scott Donald, Jamie Peacock and Gareth Ellis.
14.
Rob Burrow was the winner of the Harry Sunderland Award for a man of the match performance in 2007's Super League XII Grand Final, in which Leeds defeated St Helens by 33 points to 6.
15.
Rob Burrow was named in the Super League Dream Team for 2008's Super League XIII season.
16.
Rob Burrow played in the 2008 Super League Grand Final victory over St Helens.
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Rob Burrow played in the 2009 Super League Grand Final victory over St Helens at Old Trafford.
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Rob Burrow played in five Challenge Cup Finals in six years between 2010 and 2015.
19.
Rob Burrow's first-half try, a 50-metre solo effort, was regarded as one of the greatest tries in Grand Final history.
20.
Rob Burrow won the Harry Sunderland Award for the second time, when he was unanimously voted as man of the match.
21.
Rob Burrow played in the 2012 Super League Grand Final victory over the Warrington Wolves, and the 2015 Super League Grand Final victory over the Wigan Warriors.
22.
On 12 January 2020, one month after his motor neurone disease diagnosis, Rob Burrow came out of retirement to play for Leeds in a pre-season game against Bradford Bulls.
23.
Rob Burrow came on as an interchange with five minutes left to play.
24.
Rob Burrow made his debut for Great Britain in the team's opening match of the 2005 Tri-Nations against New Zealand.
25.
Rob Burrow was named in the squad for the 2006 Tri-Nations, but did not make any appearances.
26.
In June 2007, Rob Burrow was called up to the Great Britain squad for the test match against France.
27.
Rob Burrow was awarded the George Smith Medal as player of the series which he finished as top points scorer with 26 from two tries and nine goals.
28.
Rob Burrow was selected for the England squad to compete in the 2008 Rugby League World Cup tournament in Australia.
29.
Rob Burrow was not selected for England's 2011 Four Nations campaign due to a rib injury.
30.
Rob Burrow was often compared to other diminutive half-backs such as Roger Millward and Allan Langer.
31.
Rob Burrow was a fan of the American NFL football team the Seattle Seahawks.
32.
On 19 December 2019, Rob Burrow revealed that he had been diagnosed with motor neurone disease.
33.
Rob Burrow died at Pinderfields Hospital from complications of motor neurone disease, on 2 June 2024, aged 41.
34.
In 2023 the BBC documentary Rob Burrow: Living with MND won documentary of the year at the 28th National Television Awards.
35.
Rob Burrow was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 2021 New Year Honours for services to rugby league and the motor neurone disease community and promoted to Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2024 New Year Honours for services to motor neurone disease awareness.
36.
Rob Burrow had a hand in the design and creation of the facility.