The former Leeds Rhinos player’s death was announced on Sunday after a four-and-a-half-year battle with motor neurone disease.
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, Lindsay Ex, said: Leeds Rhinos player „Simply the best”.
„Even though we knew this day would come, I’m somehow at a loss for words to say goodbye to our loving, kind, caring husband and father,” she said in a statement.
“I feel incredibly honored and fortunate to call Rob my husband.
“I am incredibly proud of his campaign to raise awareness and the millions of pounds 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,” he added.
„My priority is to make Rob proud and to raise our three children the way Rob wanted them to be and ensure their happiness and well-being.
„We will continue to keep Robin’s legacy alive. We will continue to 'bang the drum’ and try to help others.
„We take solace in how much people’s love and continued support has been there for Rob during his most vulnerable times.
„He’s simply the best.”
Meanwhile, A ceremony marking the ground breaking of the Rob Burrow Center for MND He said he would be „looking down and smiling” with his family as planned at Burrow’s request on Monday at Leeds’ Seacroft Hospital.
Barrow’s close friend and former teammate Kevin Sinfield attended the ceremony, along with Barrow’s parents Jeff and Irene Burrough and his sisters Joan Hartshorne and Claire Burnett.
Emotional amplification at Burrow’s MND Centre
The family said Burrow would have liked them to be there as construction began on the state-of-the-art purpose-built care centre.
Ms Burrow told reporters: „I said this is what Rob would have wanted and I think he’d be proud that we’ve all had the strength to come together and we’re doing it for Lindsey and the kids.
„He’ll look down on us and he’ll go 'thumbs up.’ We’re so proud to be here and it’s amazing what you can accomplish.”
Mr Burrow said: „It’s amazing what a little man can achieve. You can achieve great things.
„As Rob says, in a world full of suffering you have to dare to dream. We dream of when this will open.”
Burrow’s rugby league legacy will be the focal point of Saturday’s Challenge Cup final at Wembley, with a series of tributes in his honour.
’His twinkling eyes lit up a room’
A minute’s silence will be observed before the men’s and women’s finals.
Burrow spent his entire rugby league career with Leeds Rhinos and helped them win eight Super League titles.
In 2019 – two years after his retirement – Burrow revealed his MND diagnosis and launched a fundraising and campaign to raise awareness of the disease, improve care and research.
Before his death, Burrow launched a £6.8m charity appeal for Leeds Hospitals Trust, where he was treated, for a center for people with the disease who live in and around the city.
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Since Burrow’s death was announced on Sunday evening, the appeal has received around 1,000 donations.
He was made an MBE in the 2021 New Year’s Honors List for his services to rugby league and the MND community and was promoted to CBE in the 2024 New Year’s Honours.