After seven days of public mourning for Rugby League legend Rob Burrow CBE, Leeds Rhinos have announced their plans for moving forward with tributes to the father of three and MND fundraiser and campaigner.
AMT Headingley Rugby Stadium will remain open on Sunday 9th June until midnight for well wishers to come down and pay their respects. All the tributes that were left at Wembley Stadium at the Challenge Cup Finals on Saturday were brought to Leeds overnight and have also been added.
Please note that there is no parking at the stadium on Sunday due to a cricket match being played at the stadium. Public transport to Headingley by bus or train is available and on street parking is limited around the stadium but the club have asked that people travelling to the stadium are respectful of their neighbours when they park. Please also be aware that road closures on St Michaels Lane could be in place at the end of the days play around 6pm.
With that in mind at 6pm today, to mark a week since Rob’s passing was announced, we would ask you to have a moment of reflection with loved ones at home together to remember Rob and keep in your thoughts his family and all those impacted by MND.
From Monday morning, 10th June, the club staff will start to lift and store safely the many shirts and mementos that have been left in tribute to Rob from people around the country. This is to ensure that they do not get damaged by the weather and the site remains a fitting tribute to Rob. Each will be photographed and put into a book, copies of which will go to the family, one at the stadium and one to be housed in the new Rob Burrow Centre for MND.
The club will make a decision, in conjunction with Rob’s family, how to use the shirts and items to form a permanent tribute at the stadium, most likely somewhere in the South Stand to recall where people came to remember Rob this week.
Flowers that are no longer fresh will be lifted. Any wrappers will be recycled wherever possible whilst the flowers will be composted separately with the compost then added to the club’s existing Memorial Garden situated near Car Park A at the stadium. All notes on the flowers will also be photographed and added to the above books. The photographs will also be displayed on a digital gallery on the Leeds Rhinos website so visitors can read the many tributes to Burrow in the weeks and years ahead.
Well wishers can still visit the stadium throughout the next fortnight with the South Stand open from 8am until 8pm each day for people to lay flowers around the base of the John Holmes statue. At this stage, we would ask that no more shirts or items of clothing are left so that we can ensure that all the messages are captured. The club staff will ensure that fresh flowers are kept at the site throughout this period.
Leeds Rhinos have already announced plans that their next home game against Leigh Leopards will be a celebration of Rob’s life on Friday 21st June. Tickets for this game, which takes place on Global MND Awareness Day, are on sale now at tickets.therhinos.co.uk. Fans will be allowed to bring flowers and tributes to Rob to be laid on that day also.
The club are co-ordinating with the Burrow family around the details of Rob’s funeral, which will take place in early July. This will be a private event for family and friends however there will be a chance for members of the public to pay tribute to Rob on his final journey, details of this will be published nearer the time.
The club are also working with Leeds City Council for a larger, civic event following Rob’s funeral that will be streamed for well wishers to watch. Details of this will be announced in due course.
The Leeds Hospitals Charity has an online book of condolence that members of the public can sign. You can find that tribute page here https://leedshospitalscharity.dedicationpage.org/remembering-rob