Rob Burrow
CBE
Burrow representing England in 2008
Personal information
Full nameRobert Geoffrey Burrow[1][2]
Born (1982-09-26) 26 September 1982 (age 41)
Pontefract, West Yorkshire, England
Playing information
Height5 ft 5 in (165 cm)[3]
Weight10 st 6 lb (66 kg)[4]
PositionScrum-half, Hooker
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2001–17 Leeds Rhinos 493 198 157 5 1111
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2004–13 England 15 12 12 0 72
2005–07 Great Britain 5 4 9 0 34
2002–03 Yorkshire 2 0 1 0 2

Robert Geoffrey Burrow CBE (born 26 September 1982) is an English former professional rugby league player.

An England and Great Britain representative, he spent his entire 16-year professional career with Leeds Rhinos in the Super League, making over 400 appearances between 2001 and 2017. At 5 ft 5 in (165 cm) tall and weighing less than 11 st (70 kg; 150 lb), Burrow was known for many years as "the smallest player in Super League". Despite this, he was one of the most successful players in the competition's history, winning eight Super League championships, two Challenge Cups, being named to the Super League Dream Team on three occasions and winning the Harry Sunderland Trophy twice.[5][6][7][8][9]

On 19 December 2019, Burrow revealed that he had been diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND).[10]

Club career

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (January 2024)

Burrow played for the Leeds Rhinos from the interchange bench in their 2004 Super League Grand Final victory against the Bradford Bulls. As Super League IX champions, the Rhinos faced 2004 NRL season premiers, the Bulldogs in the 2005 World Club Challenge. Burrow played from the interchange bench, scoring a try in Leeds' 39–32 victory. He played for Leeds in the 2005 Challenge Cup Final at scrum half back in their loss against Hull FC.[11] Later that year he played for the Leeds Rhinos at stand-off half back in their 2005 Super League Grand Final loss against Bradford Bulls.

He 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. He 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.

Burrow was named in the Super League Dream Team for 2008's Super League XIII season.[12] He played in the 2008 Super League Grand Final victory over St. Helens.[13]

Burrow following the 2009 Super League Grand Final.

Burrow played in the 2009 Super League Grand Final victory over St. Helens at Old Trafford.[14][15][16][17][18][19][20]

Burrow played in five Challenge Cup Finals in six years between 2010 and 2015, with Leeds Rhinos losing in three consecutive finals in 2010,[21][22] 2011,[23][24][25][26][27][28] and 2012.[29][30][31] The team then won successive finals in 2014.[32] and 2015.[33][34][35]

Burrow also played in the 2011 Super League Grand Final victory over St. Helens,[36][37] following which he became the first player to win the Harry Sunderland Award twice by winning the unanimous votes of all 37 judges.[citation needed] He also played in the 2012 Super League Grand Final victory over the Warrington Wolves,[38][30] and the 2015 Super League Grand Final victory over the Wigan Warriors.[39]

Burrow announced his retirement in 2017.[40] His final match was the 2017 Super League Grand Final in which he helped his club, Leeds to victory over the Castleford Tigers at Old Trafford.[41][42][43]

International career

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (January 2024)

In June 2007, Burrow was called up to the Great Britain squad for the Test match against France.[44]

He played a pivotal role in helping Great Britain to a 3–0 victory over New Zealand in the Gillette Fusion Test series in 2007. He 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.[45]

Burrow was selected for the England squad to compete in the 2008 Rugby League World Cup tournament in Australia.[46] In the first Group A match against Papua New Guinea, he played at scrum half back, with England winning the game.

He was not selected for England's post-season 2011 Four Nations campaign due to a rib injury.[47]

Personal life

Burrow has two daughters and a son with his wife Lindsey.[48] His autobiography Too Many Reasons to Live was published in 2021.[49] He is a fan of the American NFL football team the Seattle Seahawks.[50]

Honours

Burrow was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2021 New Year Honours for services to rugby league and the motor neurone disease community[51][52] and promoted to Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2024 New Year Honours for services to motor neurone disease awareness.[53]

Club

Individual

Hall of Fame

Burrow became the sixteenth inductee to the Leeds Rhinos Hall of Fame in 2020.[54]

Academic awards

On 16 March 2021 Burrow was awarded the Honorary degree of Doctor of Sport Science by Leeds Beckett University.[55]

SPOTY/Helen Rollason Award

At the 2022 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award, Burrow was awarded the Helen Rollason award, for "raising awareness of/and fundraising", for Motor Neurone Disease.

Kevin Sinfield was also awarded the Panel Special award, for his remarkable fundraising for research and support for motor neurone disease.[56]

References

  1. ^ "Robert Geoffrey Burrow". Companies House. Retrieved 2 December 2017.
  2. ^ "Burrow Signs New Two Year Deal With Rhinos". Leeds Rhinos. 21 May 2015. Retrieved 2 December 2017.
  3. ^ "Player profile". Retrieved 13 October 2022.
  4. ^ "Player profile". Retrieved 13 October 2022.
  5. ^ a b "Profile at loverugbyleague.com". loverugbyleague.com. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  6. ^ a b "Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  7. ^ a b "England Statistics at englandrl.co.uk". englandrl.co.uk. 31 December 2017. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  8. ^ a b "Great Britain Statistics at englandrl.co.uk". englandrl.co.uk. 31 December 2017. Archived from the original on 2 December 2013. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  9. ^ a b "Profile at therhinos.co.uk". therhinos.co.uk. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  10. ^ "Rob Burrow: Leeds Rhinos legend diagnosed with motor neurone disease". BBC Sport. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  11. ^ "Hull stun Leeds in Challenge Cup". BBC News. 27 August 2005. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
  12. ^ "2008 engage Super League Dream Team". Super League. 15 September 2008. Archived from the original on 23 February 2012. Retrieved 26 September 2008.
  13. ^ "2008 Grand Final". BBC. 4 October 2008. Retrieved 5 October 2008.
  14. ^ "Rhinos Take Super League Title". Sky News. 11 October 2009. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
  15. ^ Burke, David (11 October 2009). "Smith's Crisp". The Daily Mirror. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
  16. ^ Linfoot, Ben (10 October 2009). "Grand Final: Leeds Rhinos 18 St Helens 10". Sky Sports. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
  17. ^ "Potter refuses to blame video ref". Liverpool Echo. 12 October 2009. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
  18. ^ Fletcher, Paul (10 October 2009). "St Helens 10-18 Leeds Rhinos". BBC Sport. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
  19. ^ "Sinfield hails winning culture". The Daily Mirror. 11 October 2009. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
  20. ^ "Leeds Rhinos fans in homecoming welcome". Yorkshire Evening Post. 12 October 2009. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
  21. ^ Scott, Ged (28 August 2010). "Leeds 6–30 Warrington". BBC. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
  22. ^ Wilson, Andy (28 August 2010). "Chris Hicks hat-trick leads Warrington to Challenge Cup triumph over Leeds". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 31 August 2010. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
  23. ^ "Maguire salutes Wembley heroes". Sky Sports. 27 August 2011. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
  24. ^ "Challenge Cup glory for Wigan Warriors". ESPN. 27 August 2011. Retrieved 26 August 2012.
  25. ^ Scott, Ged (27 August 2011). "Leeds 18-28 Wigan". BBC Sport. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
  26. ^ Wilson, Andy (27 August 2011). "Leeds Rhinos 18-28 Wigan Warriors – Challenge Cup final match report". The Guardian. London.
  27. ^ therfl.co.uk (28 August 2011). "Challenge Cup: Lima inspires Wigan win". rleague.com. Retrieved 26 August 2012.
  28. ^ Henson, Mike (27 August 2011). "Challenge Cup final - as it happened". BBC Sport. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
  29. ^ "Warrington's battered Brett Hodgson recovers to see off Leeds in final". The Guardian. 25 August 2012. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  30. ^ a b "Leeds' Kevin Sinfield stars in Grand Final triumph against Warrington". The Guardian. 6 October 2012. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  31. ^ "Leeds Rhinos 18–35 Warrington Wolves". BBC Sport. 25 August 2012. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  32. ^ "Leeds lift Challenge Cup after Ryan Hall's double stuns Castleford". Guardian. 23 August 2014. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
  33. ^ "Leeds emphatically shut out Hull KR to lift Challenge Cup". The Guardian. 29 August 2015. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
  34. ^ "Scoreboard". Rugby Leaguer & League Express. No. 2982. 31 August 2015. p. 31.
  35. ^ "Challenge Cup final: Hull KR 0-50 Leeds Rhinos". BBC Sport. 29 August 2015. Retrieved 29 August 2015.
  36. ^ "Leeds claim Grand Final glory as inspired Rob Burrow sinks St Helens". Guardian. 8 October 2011. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
  37. ^ "St Helens 16 Leeds 32". Daily Telegraph. 8 October 2011. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
  38. ^ "Grand Final: Warrington 18-26 Leeds". BBC Sport. 6 October 2012. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  39. ^ "Leeds pip Wigan to seal treble after brilliant, breathless Grand Final". The Guardian. 10 October 2015. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
  40. ^ "Leeds Rhinos: Retiring playmaker Burrow opts for fresh challenge with the Rhinos". Yorkshire Evening Post. 19 July 2017. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
  41. ^ "Castleford 6-24 Leeds: Grand Final 2017 – as it happened". The Guardian. 7 October 2017. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
  42. ^ "Grand Final 2017: Castleford 6-24 Leeds Rhinos". BBC Sport. 7 October 2017. Retrieved 9 October 2017.
  43. ^ "Danny McGuire guides Leeds to Grand Final success over Castleford". The Guardian. 7 October 2017. Retrieved 9 October 2017.
  44. ^ "Eight new faces in Lions squad". BBC. 12 June 2007. Retrieved 12 June 2007.
  45. ^ Burke, David (12 November 2007). "Rob Burrow walks tall for Great Britain". The Telegraph. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
  46. ^ "Purdham earns World Cup call-up". BBC. 7 October 2008. Retrieved 7 October 2008.
  47. ^ Sky Sports (11 October 2011). "Ablett named in England squad". Retrieved 2 March 2023.
  48. ^ Appleyard, Joe (12 January 2023). "Geoff Burrow's heartfelt words after Rob Burrow's freedom of Leeds honour". Huddersfield Daily Examiner. Huddersfield. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
  49. ^ Burrow, Rob (19 August 2021). Too many reasons to live. Pan Macmillan. ISBN 9781529073270. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
  50. ^ "Burrow: 'I cannot get over how much people are willing to do for me'". The Independent. 8 January 2020. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
  51. ^ "Extraordinary public service at centre of New Year Honours List 2021". GOV.UK.
  52. ^ Daly, Phil (30 December 2020). "Burrow awarded MBE in New Year Honours".
  53. ^ "No. 64269". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 2023. p. N9.
  54. ^ Daly, Phil (30 December 2020). "Burrow completes the 'Class of 2020' as 16th inductee to Leeds RL Hall of Fame".
  55. ^ Share, Immy (17 March 2021). "Leeds Rhinos' Rob Burrow MBE awarded honorary doctorate by Leeds Beckett University". Yorkshire Evening Post. Leeds. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
  56. ^ "Burrow and Sinfield given special awards at BBC SPOTY". totalrl.com. 21 December 2022.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rob Burrow.

Profile at Rugby League Record Keepers' Club

Leeds Rhinos squads
Great Britain squad – 2005 Rugby League Tri Nations
Great Britain squad – 2006 Rugby League Tri Nations
England squad – 2008 Rugby League World Cup Semi Finalists
England squad – 2013 Rugby League World Cup
Harry Sunderland Trophy winners
Super League Dream Team – 2005
Super League Dream Team – 2007
Super League Dream Team – 2008
Categories