The Prince and Princess of Wales visited the home of Leeds Rhinos today to learn about the legacy of former player Rob Burrow, who died of motor neurone disease (MND) in 2024, aged 41.
William and Kate met former players from the club’s ‘golden generation’ at AMT Headingley Stadium, who shared memories of the scrum-half who became an MND campaigner. Burrow raised millions for MND awareness and research, alongside his teammate Sir Kevin Sinfield, who continues to fundraise and is currently running seven ultra marathons in seven days for MND charities.
Memories of a ‘special band of brothers’
The royal couple toured the stadium, where a montage of Burrow’s best matches played on the big screen and photos of him adorned the players’ tunnel. They also met Burrow’s teammates, including Jamie Jones-Buchanan MBE, now chief executive of the club, and Danny McGuire, who works for the Leeds Rhinos Foundation, the club’s official charity.
Reflecting on Burrow’s career, McGuire described his old teammate as “small” but “so brave”. “He was so brave on the field. We followed him, didn't we?” he said to Jones-Buchanan. “He was the one that we all followed. He inspired us.”
William asked, “Was he very vocal as well?” Jones-Buchanan said, “He was a massive presence. What he lacked in size he made up for in his voice, he was a comedian as well.”
Royal connections to Burrow’s legacy
The Prince of Wales previously visited the stadium in January 2024 to surprise both Burrow and Sinfield with the CBEs they were awarded for fundraising. The following year, William kept a promise to Burrow and officially opened the Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease (MND).
As well as hearing about Burrow’s legacy, the prince and princess learned about the multiple mental and physical health initiatives offered by the foundation, including school PE partnerships and disability rugby sessions.
Engaging with young players and pupils
They watched a women’s under-19s training session and met with players selected for the upcoming Rugby League World Cup. They also spoke to three Year 6 pupils from a local primary school who were enjoying a PE session on the pitch about the importance of sport to them.
During the conversation, William asked: “Where do you guys want to be with your sports? Do you want to [have] a career with your sports?” All three nodded. He replied: “It takes a lot of practice, a lot of hard work.”
While Kate said to one of the boys: “I like what you said about belonging.” Describing having teammates, she said: “It almost becomes like another family.”
They were also pleasantly surprised to hear the children did not have social media. Kate said: “That’s so good to hear, that’s because you love your sport, you’ve got other things to be doing.” She later turned to William, who looked surprised, “These guys don’t have social media because they really love their sport.”
Speaking to the pupils, William asked how well they knew “local heroes” Burrow and Sinfield, who is midway through his latest endurance challenge. Kate said: “He’s super fit. He’s doing seven ultramarathons in seven days; that’s a lot of running.” While William added: “If he can walk by the end of it, it’s going to be amazing. His poor knees.”
Tour of the players’ tunnel and wheelchair team
The Waleses were shown the players’ tunnel, which has a photo of the “golden generation” and a quote from Burrow, describing them as a “special band of brothers”. Jones-Buchanan showed them a rhino above the doorway, which players touch before walking out onto the pitch.
The prince and princess then met two players from the Leeds Rhinos wheelchair team, including one who will play at the World Cup later this month. At the end of the visit, they were given a giftbag for their children, including a ball and toy rhinos.
