Leeds Rhinos have announced plans to erect a statue of Rob Burrow and his longstanding teammate Kevin Sinfield outside Headingley.
Burrow, who in December 2019 revealed he had been diagnosed with motor neurone disease, was Leeds’ guest of honour for their game against Huddersfield on Thursday. Now his likeness will be placed outside the stadium where he spent his entire playing career after the Rhinos launched a fundraising campaign on Friday evening, with the aim of raising £100,000 to erect the statue of Burrow and Sinfield.
The duo won every domestic honour as a pair at Leeds, but the statue will instead feature Sinfield embracing Burrow during the fundraising match for Burrow at Headingley last year which helped raise significant funds for the 38-year-old and his family. Sinfield subsequently ran seven marathons in seven days later in the year, raising more than £2m for the MND Association.
Leeds say the statue will “illustrate the camaraderie, bond and love” between the pair. The club’s chief executive, Gary Hetherington, said: “I think Rob and Kevin perfectly encapsulate everything we hold special about the sport of rugby league and their records on the field alone would merit a statue here at Emerald Headingley.
“However, they have both transcended not just rugby league but sport to become national figures because of Rob’s battle with MND and Kevin’s unstinting support of his friend. They were part of a special group of players and this statue acknowledges that bond.”
The statue will be the second to be erected outside Headingley, after a tribute to another of Leeds’ greatest players, John Holmes, which was unveiled last month. “We were proud to unveil the first statue in the 130 years of Headingley with the John Holmes statue and I am sure this too will become an iconic and artistic addition of our wonderful home,” Hetherington added.
