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“Ia world full of adversity, we must still dare to dream,” was Rob Burrow’s message emblazoned on the players’ shirts as they took to the pitch for the women’s and men’s Challenge Cup finals. The former Leeds rhino’s death was mourned and his life celebrated in equal measure at Wembley to show his legacy will live on in rugby league and beyond.
Burrow’s number 7 was emblazoned on the center line above the message #OneRobBurrow, which was also on the Rhinos’ shirts, as he excelled in a competition he won twice as a Leeds player, where he spent 17 years playing 492 games. It wasn’t just his ability on the field that did it Burrow, who died last weekend at the age of 41, a hero, but also his determination to raise awareness of motor neurone disease and money to help prevent other sufferers, as he did after being diagnosed with the disease in 2019, two years after his retirement.
Fans laid flowers, T-shirts and scarves at a statue dedicated to five rugby league legends which stands outside Wembley. Supporters from all the teams involved in the various finals paid tribute to the sixth legend of the game; a blue #7 balloon was tied to the monument and flew proudly. Burrow’s beloved Rhinos were in the women’s final, but the Warriors, Wolves and Saints also took time to pay their respects as the blue and yellow dominated the memorials.
Each match began with a perfectly observed silence, followed by a 60-second round of applause in the seventh minute, the latter also occurring in the Rugby Union Premiership final – a nod to Burrow’s number throughout his career, which also resulted in the men’s final being kicked at Wembley kick-off at 3.07pm. Burrow was shown with Challenge Cup in hand on the big screen and huge banners were scattered in the stands.
At Wembley Park tube station there was another banner showing Burrow’s face and words. “Yorkshire boy about to live his dream,” it read. Wherever one looked around the stadium, Burrow was rarely far away.
It was the first chance for many to say goodbye. More Leeds fans than expected traveled to London knowing they could gather to celebrate their fallen lion heart. The players warmed up with “7 Burrow” on their jerseys to make sure he was with them at all times.
After an emotional week, the Rhinos failed to lift spirits with victory in the women’s final. Their players looked visibly affected during the pre-match silence on the day they fell short of St Helens.
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As another message left at Wembley said: “Rob’s legacy will live on through his incredible work and the healing center that will bear his name.”
Burrow is gone, but what he left behind shows he won’t be forgotten.
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