At a funeral reception, people who knew and loved Rob Burrow have gathered to say their last goodbyes.
The prominent player for both the Leeds Rhinos and England, following a protracted fight with motor neurone disease (MND), departed on June 2. His age was just forty-one.
Hundreds of people formed a queue at the start of the month to bid the Rugby League hero farewell.
At this moment, Rob’s life and contributions were celebrated with a civil reception at Leeds Civic Hall.
Rob’s family attended the celebration, which was organized by Leeds Lord Mayor Abigail Marshall Katung, along with roughly 180 other guests.
James Lewis, the head of Leeds City Council, Tanya Curry, the CEO of the MND Association, and their former teammate Jamie Jones-Buchanan were also invited.
West Yorkshire was where he lived. A new center for MND research named after him was about to break ground when he passed away in a nearby hospital.
As Burrow was being driven to a private service on July 7, hundreds of people started to gather in the streets to pay their respects at noon.
The roadways went blue as a large number of individuals wearing Leeds Rhino shirts. Young athletes from the Featherstone Lions ARLFC also made an appearance dressed in uniform.
As the celebrity’s hearse passed the gatherings, a police motorcycle followed along behind.
The rugby legend’s wife Lindsey, whom he wed in 2006, and their three kids, Macy, Maya, and Jackson, were then seen in five cars following them.
Along with his parents Geoff and Irene, Rob’s sisters Joanne Hartshorne and Claire Burnett were also in the cortege.
He was laid to rest surrounded by white flower bouquets in the back, with blue fabric bearing the words “Dad,” “Bro,” and “Son.”
At the Featherstone Lions’ field, where the celebrity played junior rugby, his company paused briefly. People signed a book of condolences that was opened.
After his passing, he requested that his poignant final words, which advised people to “waste a moment” of their life, be made public.
“We must still dare to dream in a world full of adversity,” said Burrow.
The father of three has long supported the MND cause after learning in 2019 that he has the disease.
Rob’s wife Lindsey Burrow paid a very touching tribute to her husband, saying that he “made the world a better place.”
Rob’s 58-year-old friend Ian Flatt is wheelchair-assisted mountain climbing seven mountains in commemoration of his comrade, according to a recent Sun story. In 2019, Flatt received a diagnosis of motor neurone illness.