Rob Burrow facts for kids
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Personal information
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| Full name | Robert Geoffrey Burrow | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 26 September 1982 Pontefract, West Yorkshire, England |
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| Died | 2 June 2024 (aged 41) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Playing information
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| Height | 165 cm (5 ft 5 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 66 kg (10 st 6 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Scrum-half, Hooker | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Robert Geoffrey Burrow CBE (born 26 September 1982 – died 2 June 2024) was a famous English professional rugby league player. He played as a scrum-half or hooker. These are key positions in a rugby league team.
Rob Burrow played for England and Great Britain. He spent his whole 16-year career with Leeds Rhinos in the Super League. He played over 400 games between 2001 and 2017. Rob was known as "the smallest player in Super League". He was about 165 cm (5 ft 5 in) tall and weighed less than 66 kg (10 st 6 lb).
Despite his size, he was one of the most successful players ever. He won eight Super League championships and two Challenge Cups. He was also named in the Super League Dream Team three times. He won the Harry Sunderland Trophy twice, which is given to the best player in the Grand Final.
In December 2019, Rob Burrow was diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND). This is a serious illness that affects the brain and nerves. After his diagnosis, Rob worked hard to raise awareness for MND. He did this with his friend and fellow player Kevin Sinfield. Both were given CBE awards in 2024 for their amazing efforts. They helped raise lots of money and made more people aware of MND.
Contents
Rob Burrow's Club Career Highlights
Rob Burrow was born in Pontefract. He started playing junior rugby league for Featherstone Lions. He joined Leeds Rhinos in 1999 and played in their youth teams. He made his first team debut for Leeds in April 2001. This was in a game against Hull.
A week later, he started his first game for the club. He even scored a try! Rob got more chances to play that season. This was because Leeds' main scrum-half got injured. Rob played very well, scoring two tries in a win against St Helens. At the end of that year, he was named the Super League Young Player of the Year.
Rob played in his first final in 2003. This was the 2003 Challenge Cup final against Bradford Bulls. He got a concussion early in the game and could not play anymore. Leeds lost that match.
Winning the Super League and World Club Challenge
Rob Burrow played a key role in the Leeds Rhinos' success. He was on the bench when they won the 2004 Super League Grand Final. They beat the Bradford Bulls. As Super League champions, Leeds then played the Bulldogs in the 2005 World Club Challenge. Rob came off the bench and scored a try. Leeds won this exciting game 39–32.
Later in 2005, he played in the 2005 Challenge Cup Final. Leeds lost to Hull FC. He also played in the 2005 Super League Grand Final where Leeds lost to Bradford Bulls. Despite these losses, he was named in the Super League Dream Team for 2005. This team features the best players of the season.
Awards and More Grand Final Wins
Rob was named Leeds Rhinos Player of the Year in 2007. He was also in the Super League Dream Team again. He won the Harry Sunderland Trophy in the 2007 Super League Grand Final. This award is for the best player in the final. Leeds beat St. Helens 33–6 in that game.
He was selected for the Super League Dream Team for a third time in 2008. He then played in the 2008 Super League Grand Final victory. Leeds beat St. Helens once more.
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Rob also played in the 2009 Super League Grand Final win. Leeds beat St. Helens at Old Trafford.
Challenge Cup Success and Retirement
Rob Burrow played in five Challenge Cup Finals between 2010 and 2015. Leeds Rhinos lost three finals in a row from 2010 to 2012. But they then won two finals back-to-back in 2014 and 2015.
He was part of the team that beat St Helens 32–16 in the 2011 Super League Grand Final. His try in the first half, a 50-meter solo run, is seen as one of the best tries in Grand Final history. He won the Harry Sunderland Award for the second time that day. He was voted the best player in the match by everyone.
Rob also played in the 2012 Super League Grand Final win against the Warrington Wolves. And he played in the 2015 Super League Grand Final victory over the Wigan Warriors.
Rob Burrow announced he would retire in 2017. His very last game was the 2017 Super League Grand Final. In this game, he helped Leeds win against the Castleford Tigers at Old Trafford.
Rob Burrow's International Career
Rob Burrow first played for Great Britain in 2005. This was in the opening match of the 2005 Rugby League Tri-Nations against New Zealand. He was also in the squad for the 2006 Tri-Nations.
In June 2007, Rob was called up to the Great Britain team. This was for a game against France. He played a very important part in Great Britain's 3–0 win over New Zealand in the 2007 Gillette Fusion Test series. He won the George Smith Medal as the best player of the series. He also scored the most points with 26 from two tries and nine goals.
Rob was chosen for the England squad for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup in Australia. He played at scrum-half in the first game against Papua New Guinea. England won that match.
Playing Style and Lasting Impact
At 165 cm (5 ft 5 in) tall, Rob Burrow was the smallest player in the Super League for many years. He was often compared to other small but skillful players. These included Roger Millward and Allan Langer.
In February 2024, a new award was created for the Super League Grand Final's best player. It replaced the Harry Sunderland Trophy. This new award is now called the Rob Burrow Award. This shows how much he meant to the sport.
Personal Life and Legacy
Rob Burrow had two daughters and a son with his wife, Lindsey. His book, Too Many Reasons to Live, was published in 2021. It won the Autobiography of the Year award in 2022. He was also a fan of the American NFL team, the Seattle Seahawks.
Illness and Raising Awareness
On 19 December 2019, Rob Burrow shared that he had been diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND). This is a condition that affects how the brain sends messages to the muscles.
In January 2020, a special game was played. It was between Leeds Rhinos and Bradford Bulls. The game was meant to raise money to support Rob and his family. Rob even played a short part in the match himself.
In September 2021, a plan was started to build a new care center for MND patients. It would be in Leeds and named the Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease. With help from his former teammate Kevin Sinfield, over £5 million was raised by December 2023. This money will help build the treatment center.
Rob Burrow was given the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) award in 2021. This was for his services to rugby league and the MND community. He was then promoted to Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2024. This was for his amazing work in raising awareness for motor neurone disease.
Rob Burrow passed away on 2 June 2024, at the age of 41. His courage and efforts left a huge impact.
Honours and Achievements
Club
- Super League (8 wins): 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017
- League Leader's Shield (3 wins): 2004, 2009, 2015
- Challenge Cup (2 wins): 2014, 2015
- World Club Challenge (3 wins): 2005, 2008, 2012
Individual Awards
- Young Player of the Year: 2001
- Harry Sunderland Trophy: 2007, 2011
- Super League Dream Team: 2005, 2007, 2008
- Leeds Rhinos Hall of Fame: 2020
Special Recognitions
- Member of the Order of the British Empire, 2021
- Commander of the Order of the British Empire, 2024
- Honorary degree of Doctor of Sport Science from Leeds Beckett University.
- BBC Sports Personality of the Year Helen Rollason Award, 2022
See also
In Spanish: Rob Burrow para niños
