Rob Burrow MBE, the former Leeds Rhino and England Rugby League player who has passionately campaigned for people with Motor Neurone Disease, was yesterday named by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak as the 2,000th recipient of the daily Points of Light award.
Rob made nearly 500 appearances for the Leeds Rhinos between 2001 and 2017, winning eight Super League championships.
Just two years after his retirement, he revealed a devastating diagnosis of MND in December 2019, but despite his physical decline Rob has raised awareness, including through a documentary with the BBC showing the impact of the disease on himself and his family.
He has also inspired the creation of a Rob Burrow Day (7 July) led by Leeds Rhinos, and has been at the forefront of the design of a new £5m cutting-edge MND centre in Leeds, which will be the first of its kind in the UK to be based around the holistic needs of MND patients and their families.
Rob’s awareness-raising has been matched by a fundraising drive from his old Rhinos team Kevin Sinfield OBE, who has completed multiple marathon challenges in Rob’s name to raise over £7m for MND charities.
The inaugural Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon is due to take place in May this year, with over 10,000 people signed up to take part and raise further funds for his Leeds Hospitals Charity Appeal.
The Prime Minister’s Points of Light award was first launched in April 2014, having been developed in partnership with the hugely successful Points of Light programme in the USA.
Since then, outstanding individuals from across the country who are making a positive change within their community and inspiring others have been recognised by the Prime Minister through the award.
In a personal letter to Rob, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:
For almost a decade, Prime Ministers have been naming a daily Point of Light to recognise extraordinary people in our country whose service to others is an inspiration to us all.
Today, I have the honour of naming you as the UK’s 2,000th Point of Light.
You have inspired millions around the world with your strength, courage and positivity. Through your intimate documentary and all your work to raise awareness of MND, you have used your profile as one of the greatest ever rugby players to shine a light on a disease that was once rarely spoken about and little understood.
You have inspired a phenomenal fundraising campaign that is supporting vital new research and improving the care for others – not least through the creation of The Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease in your proud home city of Leeds.
The legacy of everything you are doing for the fight against this disease will change what it means to be diagnosed with MND.
As you have said: “in a world full of adversity we must dare to dream.” Inspired by you, many will dare to dream and fulfil those dreams, in spite of whatever adversity they may face.
You are a true Point of Light. On behalf of the whole country, thank you.
