Wembley Stadium remembered Rob Burrow on Saturday as the Challenge Cup final between Warrington Wolves and Wigan Warriors was delayed until seven minutes past three, as a tribute to the No.7 he played with on his jersey for Leeds Rhinos.
Burrow died on Sunday aged 41 after he was diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND) in 2019.
He subsequently dedicated his life to raising awareness of the condition and funds for charities along with ex-teammate Kevin Sinfield. The pair helped to raise more than £15 million ($19.1m) for MND charities.
One of the most important days on the rugby league calendar, the entire Challenge Cup final day was dedicated to Burrow with a minute silence before the match, while players wore tributes to him on their jerseys. There was also an applause from the Wembley crowd on the seventh minute.
Outside the stadium, fans left flowers and memorabilia at the Rugby League Statue, which celebrates the Challenge Cup’s history at Wembley.
A small scrum-half with incredible speed and skill, Burrow won two Challenge Cup titles, as well as eight Super League finals and three World Club Challenge crowns with Leeds between 2001 and 2017. He made 492 appearances for the club, scoring 192 tries. He played 20 times for England and Great Britain at International level.
“He was a character. He was tough he was tenacious he was competitor,” former teammate Danny McGuire told BBC.
“But best of all he was a great teammate. The jovial one in the team, [he] kept everyone on their toes and I loved playing alongside him for 20 plus years.”
Sinfield led tributes after Burrow’s death on Sunday.
“Today was the day that I hoped would never come,” Sinfield said in a statement. “The world has lost a great man and a wonderful friend to so so many. You fought so bravely until the end and became a beacon of hope and inspiration, not only for the MND community but for all those who saw and heard your story.”
The Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Kate, also paid their respects to the rugby league legend who represented England and Great Britain during his illustrious playing career.
“A legend of Rugby League, Rob Burrow had a huge heart,” they said in a post on X. “He taught us, ‘in a world full of adversity, we must dare to dream.’ Catherine and I send our love to Lindsey, Jackson, Maya and Macy.”