Rob Burrow's wife has paid tribute to her rugby player husband who died last week aged 41 after a battle with motor neurone disease (MND).
In a moving tribute, his wife Lindsey said the former Leeds Rhinos player was "simply the best".
It came as Burrow's final message before he died emerged: "Whatever your personal battle, be brave and face it. Every single day is precious. Don't waste a moment."
Burrow, who began fundraising and campaigning to raise awareness of MND after his diagnosis, added: "I hope one day we find a cure and we live in a world free of MND."
The message was played as part of the BBC documentary There's Only One Rob Burrow.
Rob Burrow's final words
I hope one day we find a cure and we live in a world free of MND.
By the time that you watch this I will no longer be here.
I'm just a lad from Yorkshire who got to live out his dream of playing rugby league.
As a father of three young children I would never want any family to have to go through what my family and children have since my diagnosis.
I hope I have left a mark on the disease.
I hope it shows to live in the moment.
I hope you find inspiration from the whole story.
My final message to you is, whatever your personal battle, be brave and face it.
Every single day is precious.
Don't waste a moment.
In a world full of adversity, we must still dare to dream.
Rob Burrow, over and out.
His wife said: "Although we knew this day would arrive, I am somehow still feeling at a loss for words that our loving, kind, caring husband and father has departed," she said in a statement.
"I was incredibly proud and fortunate to call Rob my husband.
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"I am unbelievably proud of the campaigning he's done to raise awareness and the millions of pounds that have been raised in his name for MND charities.
"I would like to thank the Rugby League community and everyone for their outpouring of love and support since Rob's diagnosis. I truly appreciate every message of support, and fundraising that has been done," she added.
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Image:The Prince of Wales with Rob Burrow, his wife Lindsey Burrow and their children in January. Pic: Reuters
"My priority is to make Rob proud, and to bring our three children up as Rob would want and ensure their happiness and wellbeing.
"We will continue to keep Rob's legacy alive. We will continue to 'bang the drum' and do our best to try and help others.
"We take comfort from how much people's love and continued support meant to Rob through his most vulnerable times.
"He was simply the best."
Image:Rob Burrow with his wife Lindsey and their daughters. Pic: PA
Burrow's close friend and former teammate Kevin Sinfield attended the ceremony, along with Burrow's parents Geoff and Irene Burrow, and his sisters Joanne Hartshorn and Claire Burnett.
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1:16
Emotional groundbreaking at Burrow's MND centre
The family said Burrow would have wanted them to be there as construction work started on the state-of-the-art purpose-built care centre.
Mrs Burrow told reporters: "I said this is what Rob would want and I think he'd be proud that we all pulled ourselves together and got the strength to come, and we're doing it for Lindsey and the kids.
"He'll be looking down on us and he'll be going 'thumbs up'. We're so proud to be here and it's amazing what you can achieve."
Image:Rob Burrow playing for Leeds Rhino. Pic: PA
Mr Burrow said: "It's amazing what a little man can achieve. You can achieve big things.
"As Rob says, in a world full of adversity you must dare to dream. We're dreaming of when this opens."
Burrow's rugby league legacy will be the focal point of Saturday's Challenge Cup final day at Wembley with a series of tributes lined up in his honour.
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4:53
'His twinkly eyes lit up a room'
A minute's silence will be staged before both the men's and women's finals while a minute's applause will also take place in the seventh minute of each match - Burrow wore the number seven shirt for Leeds - as well as the schools and 1895 cup finals.
Burrow spent his entire rugby league career with Leeds Rhinos and helped them win eight Super League titles.
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In 2019 - two years after his retirement - Burrow revealed his MND diagnosis and began fundraising and campaigning to raise awareness of the disease and to improve care and research.
Before his death, Burrow spearheaded a £6.8m charity appeal for Leeds Hospitals Charity, where he received care, for a centre for those with the disease living in and around the city.
Since Burrow's death was announced on Sunday evening, the appeal has received around 1,000 donations.
He was also made an MBE in the 2021 New Year Honours list for his services to rugby league and the MND community and was promoted to a CBE in the 2024 New Year Honours.
Transgender athletes may have to compete alongside their biological sex under the Conservatives' plans to "clarify" equality laws, Kemi Badenoch has said.
The cabinet minister told Sky News her party is "not giving instructions" to different sporting bodies, but rather "making it very clear what the law is, that there is a difference between identifying as a different gender and what your biological sex is".
As part of their latest election offer, the Tories last night pledged to change the Equality Act to define the protected characteristic of sex as "biological sex".
In the past, critics have accused the Conservatives of seeking to stoke divisions and demonise transgender people in the search for votes - with concerns raised about what this could mean for sport and access to female-only spaces.
Asked what the law would mean in practice for transgender athletes, Ms Badenoch said it would not bar them from competing but in some cases they "may have to compete with their biological sex".
She said: "We believe that sports is something where there are sex categories for a specific reason.
"People compete in women's sports because they're biological women, not because they identify as women. It is for sporting bodies to be able to manage that.
"Transgender athletes are not stopped for competing. They may, in some cases, have to compete with their biological sex."
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Asked which toilets the government intends for transgender people to use, Ms Badenoch said: "We have not said that transgender people can't use specific toilets. What we have said is that they [businesses] must provide toilets for single sexes as well.
"And if you provide for all, that is genuine inclusion. The sort of inclusion that people are doing are actually exclusive to women."
The Equality Act currently states that an individual must not be discriminated against on the basis of their sex.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
1:46
Trans golfer on hatred after tournament win
Ms Badenoch, the women and equalities minister, stressed the reforms would not be a "change", but rather "re-emphasising what should be the status quo".
"Sex and gender were used interchangeably," she said. "What we're doing is making sure that people understand what the law says. We've seen a lot of problems with people misinterpreting the law."
Challenged about why the government hasn't already made the change if it was such a big problem, Ms Badenoch said the "biggest reason" was because the SNP's controversial gender recognition legislation "took up quite a lot of bandwidth".
Ms Badenoch first mooted the idea in April last year after writing to parliament's human rights watchdog for advice about it.
At the time, LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall said the proposal risked "opening yet another chapter in a manufactured culture war that will see little benefit to women, cis and trans alike".
Labour said it would not amend the Equality Act if elected because there are already provisions to protect single-sex spaces, so the government's plans are "not needed".
Speaking to Times Radio, shadow defence secretary John Healey said: "What is needed is clearer guidance for service providers, from the NHS to sports bodies, and in prisons, on what single-sex exemptions need to be, and the best way to be able to do that is in guidance, not primary legislation."
The Lib Dems accused the Tories of waging "phoney culture wars" while Lee Anderson, the former Tory deputy chairman turned Reform candidate, called it "madness".
Announcing the pledge last night, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the safety of women and girls "is too important to allow the current confusion around definitions of sex and gender to persist".
Ms Badenoch, who has spoken frequently in the Commons on the issue, said the change in the law needs to occur because public bodies are now acting out of "fear of being accused of transphobia".
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The Conservatives said the proposed change to the law will not remove the existing and continuing protections against discrimination on the basis of gender reassignment provided by the Equality Act.
The sex of those with a Gender Recognition Certificate will still align with their acquired gender in law outside the Equality Act, for example, marriage law, as is the status quo.
Under the proposed scheme, the Conservatives will also establish in law that gender recognition is a reserved matter, as they say "this will mean that an individual can only have one sex in the eyes of the law in the United Kingdom".
Burrow was honoured with the Helen Rollason Award at BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2022, which is given for “outstanding achievement in the face of adversity”.
Accepting the award, he paid tribute to his "MND hero" Doddie Weir and thanked his family for their support.
His former teammate Kevin Sinfield received a special BBC award for his fundraising, after he ran seven ultra marathons in seven days in November 2022 to raise money for MND research.
Rob Burrow would be looking down as the initial building work takes place for the MND treatment centre in his name, his family have said.
Burrow's death was announced yesterday but he had earlier indicated to family he wanted today's ground-breaking ceremony to go ahead.
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"He was asked, and we were all there. There was no hesitation, he wants it to go ahead today," mum Irene told the BBC.
The sooner it could be built, the sooner people could be helped, she added.
"He'll be watching today and we've pulled ourselves together all of us, because that's what Rob would have wanted.
"It's just amazing to be here today for Rob. We're flying the flag and beating the drum and keep doing it and raising money, and we will get a cure. I'm so proud of him."
Dad Geoff said he hoped the future for people with MND would be "good" thanks to the research and fundraising.
Irene said it was the "second time we've had this bereavement".
"The first time, was the worst day of our lives when he was diagnosed.
"And yes, we're going through it now, but he's out of pain now and we're flying the flag. Onwards and upwards for everybody," she added.
Leeds Rhinos rugby league team announced on Sunday their former player Rob Burrow had died.
He had been diagnosed with MND in 2019, two years after retiring from the sport.
But who was the man behind the headlines?
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Burrow had a stellar 17-year rugby league career that included winning eight Super League Grand Finals, three World Club Challenges and two Challenge Cups.
He spent his entire club career with Leeds and made more than 400 appearances between 2001 and 2017, also being capped by his country.
In 2019, two years after retirement, he was diagnosed with MND.
He brought the lives of people living with MND into the spotlight.
PA Media
Fundraising for the MND Association followed, with teammate and friend Kevin Sinfield taking on back-to-back ultra marathons to raise money.
Burrow, who was supported by wife Lindsey and the couple's three children, was made an MBE in the 2021 New Year Honours for his services to sport and for his work in the MND community.
The pair were awarded CBEs for their fundraising efforts in the 2024 New Year Honours.
Jamie Peacock, a former Leeds Rhinos teammate, told the Today programme about Rob Burrow's courage and legacy.
"He was the bravest and most courageous of us all," Peacock said.
"He has made a difference and he will never be forgotten, and that's the important thing we have to remember today."
Burrow collected eight Super League Grand Final wins during his playing career.
In 2011, he scored what is regarded as one of the greatest ever Grand Final tries to help Leeds Rhinos win against St Helens.
A ground-breaking ceremony for an MND centre in Leeds named after Rob Burrow has taken place this morning.
Cathy Killick/BBC
The Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease is at Seacroft Hospital and will support people who have the disease and their families.
Rob's dad, Geoff Burrow, was at the event alongside other members of the family, as well as Kevin Sinfield.
The ceremony saw people wiping tears from their eyes as the first spades went into the ground.
Cathy Killick/BBC
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who recognised Burrow's MND campaigning with a ‘Points of Light’ award last year, said he was "honoured" to have spent some time with him.
"Rob was an inspiration to everyone who met him or who heard his incredible story," Sunak said on X.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer also paid tribute to Burrow and his "incredible legacy" on X.
"Rob leaves behind an incredible legacy in his work to raise awareness and advocate for those with Motor Neurone Disease," Starmer said.
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My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, founded by Scottish rugby union player Doddie Weir in 2017, shared an emotional tribute message to Rob Burrow.
Weir was diagnosed with MND in 2016, and died in 2022.
Burrow had said Weir was his "MND hero".
"Doddie and Rob shared a unique bond, both as legendary rugby players and as warriors against this devastating disease," the charity said.
"His journey, shared so openly, has brought much-needed attention to MND, and his legacy will inspire future generations."
"The rugby community and the MND community have lost a giant, but the impact of Rob’s work and spirit will endure," it added.
A BBC News special is currently being streamed on iPlayer, where you can watch some of the tributes being paid to Rob Burrow, following the announcement of his death.
If you want to watch the live programme, just press the play button below.
Last year, more than 12,000 people took part in the inaugural Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon, including Kevin Sinfield and Rob Burrow.
In a memorable moment, Sinfield carried Burrow over the finish line after pushing his former teammate around the course in a specially adapted wheelchair.
The marathon raised funds for The Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease Appeal and the Leeds Hospitals Charity, as well as a host of other causes.
Work is due to start today on the multimillion-pound MND treatment centre named after Rob Burrow in his home city.
The state-of-the-art centre would be based at Seacroft Hospital in Leeds at an estimated cost of £6.8m.
PA Media
Kevin Sinfield's many challenges have raised millions of pounds for it, with donations from thousands of others helping towards the goal.
Chief executive of Leeds Hospitals Charity Esther Wakeman said people had been paying their respects overnight by sending messages or donating to the appeal to build the new facility.
"Today the plan is to put a spade in the ground, to start building the centre. We still have a million pounds to raise, but we are confident that the community will continue to get behind this.
Leeds Hospitals Charity
"This is something which will stand there for many years supporting patients and their families and that's what Rob wanted."
This morning we've been hearing about Rob Burrow - a family man, friend, decorated sportsman and motor neurone disease campaigner.
Many of the tributes we've published so far have been from his former rugby league teammates at both Leeds Rhinos and England.
Getty Images
The diagnosis for MND came just two years after he retired from playing, following a stellar 17-year career that included winning eight Super League Grand Finals, three World Club Challenges and two Challenge Cups.
Burrow's death was announced by the Rhinos, who called their former scrum-half and hooker "a true inspiration throughout his life whether that was on the rugby league field or during his battle with MND".
Getty Images
Getty Images
Burrow spent his entire club career with Leeds and made more than 400 appearances between 2001 and 2017.
One of the most successful rugby league players in history, Burrow was made an MBE in the 2021 New Year Honours for his services to the sport and for his work in the MND community.
He played alongside Kevin Sinfield - a man who would go on to complete challenges with Burrow, raising millions of pounds for charity.
The pair were awarded CBEs for their fundraising efforts in the 2024 New Year Honours.
PA Media
Prince William, who had met Burrow and Kevin Sinfield a number of times during their work to raise awareness and money for research into MND, has paid tribute to "a legend".
PA Media
Tweeting from the official Kensington Royal X account and signing his message with a W, the prince said Burrow had a huge heart, adding: "He taught us, ‘in a world full of adversity, we must dare to dream."
He added that his family sent love to Burrow's wife, Lindsey, and the couple's three children.
The announcement of Burrow's death has had a big impact on people this morning, with many national papers carrying the news on their front pages.
At Headingley Stadium, a steady stream of people have been arriving to pay their respects to Rob Burrow, whose death was announced yesterday.
One of those people is former teammate Jamie Jones-Buchanan.
PA Media
"It's a sad day, it was a sad evening last night," he told BBC Radio Leeds.
"It's a time to reflect and that reflection has brought about the manifestation of the courage that Rob showed throughout his life.
"Rob was a shining light and the spirit of Leeds, to quote some of the tributes left at the statue of John Holmes.
"His legacy is one of courage, to do it for a mate with a mate, be brave, to stand up and fight for what you believe in and Rob did that both on and off the field and that will never leave this club, this town, this city and those who are inspired by Rob.
"Rob transcended sport and through the media he was able to get his message out of love, of altruism and benevolence."
A champion on and off the field, the determination, courage and humility of Rob Burrow guaranteed a legacy that stretches way beyond the sport he loved.
At 5ft 5in, Burrow was among the smallest men in rugby league, but he became one of its biggest names.
Father, family man, friend, competitor, campaigner. His death aged 41 comes nearly five years after he was diagnosed with motor neurone disease.
When Burrow learned of his illness, he told his wife Lindsey: "Thank God it's me and not the kids."
The MND Association said Burrow was a "consistent and passionate advocate for people with MND" and "used every opportunity to raise awareness of the disease".
PA Media
"It is testament to the strength of feeling people have for Rob that the support in his name has never wavered," their statement following his death added.
"The MND Association is incredibly grateful to Rob and his family for helping to raise awareness of MND, and funds for the Association, by sharing the details of their journey and by inspiring so many people both within the MND community and the wider public."
Last night and this morning, we've seen hundreds of people pay their respects to Rob Burrow at Headingley Stadium.
Flowers, shirts and scarves have been placed at the home of Leeds Rhinos, who Burrow played for before his MND diagnosis.
PA Media
PA Media
Sally Hurst/BBC
Kevin Sinfield has written about the love he had for friend and former teammate Rob Burrow, following his death.
Together, Sinfield and Burrow raised millions for charity to increase awareness and fund research into MND, a disease Burrow was diagnosed with in 2019.
Below is Sinfield's message following the announcement of his death:
PA Media
"Today was the day that I hoped would never come.
"The world has lost a great man and a wonderful friend to so so many.
"You fought so bravely until the end and became a beacon of hope and inspiration, not only for the MND community but for all those who saw and heard your story.
PA Media
"My love and thoughts go to your beautiful family, Lindsey, Macy, Maya, and Jackson, to your lovely parents Geoff and Irene, sisters Joanne and Claire and your wider family and friends.
"You will continue to inspire me every single day. I have lost a dear friend and I will never forget the special times we shared both on and off the pitch. I would always say that you were pound for pound the toughest player I ever played alongside, however since your diagnosis, you were the toughest and bravest man I have ever met.
Reuters
"The last four-and-a-half years you showed the world what living and loving looked like and this was always done with the biggest smile on your face.
"I will miss you my little mate.
"All my love
"Kev x."
Hello and thank you for joining us.
We're waking up to the news this morning that former Leeds Rhinos star and MND campaigner Rob Burrow has died.
PA Media
Last night, Leeds Rhinos said it was with "deep sadness" they announced his death aged 41.
Burrow played rugby league for the Rhinos before his diagnosis with motor neurone disease in 2019.
Since then, he campaigned for more research into MND, with millions of pounds raised towards a new Rob Burrow Centre in Leeds, to care for those living with the disease.
His former teammate and friend Kevin Sinfield, who had spearheaded fundraising efforts by completing mammoth challenges, has led tributes.
"You will continue to inspire me every single day," he said.
Richard Tice has refused to rule out the possibility of Nigel Farage performing a U-turn and standing as a Reform UK candidate at the general election.
Mr Farage said at the start of the campaign that he would not be standing but would be campaigning for Reform.
But today he tweeted that he will be making an “emergency general election announcement” at 4pm prompting speculation he may have changed his mind.
Asked what the announcement will be, Mr Tice told Talk TV: “We are looking forward to that announcement at 4pm. We are having a great campaign so far. Very energised getting huge, huge positivity and returns. Sometimes patience is a virtue…”
Mr Tice, the Reform leader, said he knew what the announcement will be. Asked again if Mr Farage is going to stand, he said: “Come along and listen at 4pm and you will find out everything.”
You can follow the latest updates below and join the conversation in the comments section here.
Transgender athletes may have to compete alongside their biological sex under the Conservatives' plans to "clarify" equality laws, Kemi Badenoch has said.
The cabinet minister told Sky News her party is "not giving instructions" to different sporting bodies, but rather "making it very clear what the law is, that there is a difference between identifying as a different gender and what your biological sex is".
As part of their latest election offer, the Tories last night pledged to change the Equality Act to define the protected characteristic of sex as "biological sex".
In the past, critics have accused the Conservatives of seeking to stoke divisions and demonise transgender people in the search for votes - with concerns raised about what this could mean for sport and access to female-only spaces.
Asked what the law would mean in practice for transgender athletes, Ms Badenoch said it would not bar them from competing but in some cases they "may have to compete with their biological sex".
She said: "We believe that sports is something where there are sex categories for a specific reason.
"People compete in women's sports because they're biological women, not because they identify as women. It is for sporting bodies to be able to manage that.
"Transgender athletes are not stopped for competing. They may, in some cases, have to compete with their biological sex."
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Asked which toilets the government intends for transgender people to use, Ms Badenoch said: "We have not said that transgender people can't use specific toilets. What we have said is that they [businesses] must provide toilets for single sexes as well.
"And if you provide for all, that is genuine inclusion. The sort of inclusion that people are doing are actually exclusive to women."
The Equality Act currently states that an individual must not be discriminated against on the basis of their sex.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
1:46
Trans golfer on hatred after tournament win
Ms Badenoch, the women and equalities minister, stressed the reforms would not be a "change", but rather "re-emphasising what should be the status quo".
"Sex and gender were used interchangeably," she said. "What we're doing is making sure that people understand what the law says. We've seen a lot of problems with people misinterpreting the law."
Challenged about why the government hasn't already made the change if it was such a big problem, Ms Badenoch said the "biggest reason" was because the SNP's controversial gender recognition legislation "took up quite a lot of bandwidth".
Ms Badenoch first mooted the idea in April last year after writing to parliament's human rights watchdog for advice about it.
At the time, LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall said the proposal risked "opening yet another chapter in a manufactured culture war that will see little benefit to women, cis and trans alike".
Labour said it would not amend the Equality Act if elected because there are already provisions to protect single-sex spaces, so the government's plans are "not needed".
Speaking to Times Radio, shadow defence secretary John Healey said: "What is needed is clearer guidance for service providers, from the NHS to sports bodies, and in prisons, on what single-sex exemptions need to be, and the best way to be able to do that is in guidance, not primary legislation."
The Lib Dems accused the Tories of waging "phoney culture wars" while Lee Anderson, the former Tory deputy chairman turned Reform candidate, called it "madness".
Announcing the pledge last night, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the safety of women and girls "is too important to allow the current confusion around definitions of sex and gender to persist".
Ms Badenoch, who has spoken frequently in the Commons on the issue, said the change in the law needs to occur because public bodies are now acting out of "fear of being accused of transphobia".
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The Conservatives said the proposed change to the law will not remove the existing and continuing protections against discrimination on the basis of gender reassignment provided by the Equality Act.
The sex of those with a Gender Recognition Certificate will still align with their acquired gender in law outside the Equality Act, for example, marriage law, as is the status quo.
Under the proposed scheme, the Conservatives will also establish in law that gender recognition is a reserved matter, as they say "this will mean that an individual can only have one sex in the eyes of the law in the United Kingdom".
