Leeds is in mourning today after the death of rugby league great and MND ambassador Rob Burrow, with his friend and former Leeds Rhinos teammate Kevin Sinfield leading tributes.
Rob passed away on Sunday at the age of just 41, following a four-and-a-half-year battle with Motor Neurone Disease.
In that time, he has done so much to raise awareness and vital funding for the cruel disease, often with the help of his friend Kevin Sinfield - together, the pair have inspired more than £20 million in fundraising.
And theirs was a friendship for the history books.
Kevin has now shared a tribute to his 'little mate', writing that 'the world has lost a great man'.
In his tribute, shared by Leeds Rhinos, he sent his love to Rob's family (the sporting legend leaves behind wife Lindsey, two daughters and a son) and praised Rob's bravery.
Kevin's moving tribute says: "Today was the day that I hoped would never come. 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.
"My love and thoughts go to your beautiful family, Lindsey, Macy, Maya, and Jackson, to your lovely parents Geoff & Irene, sisters Joanne and Claire and your wider family and friends.
Floral tributes to Rob Burrow are already piling up at Headingley Stadium. Credit: Leeds Rhinos
"You will continue to inspire me every single day. I have lost a dear friend and I will never forget the special times we shared both on and off the pitch. I would always say that you were pound for pound the toughest player I ever played alongside, however since your diagnosis, you were the toughest and bravest man I have ever met.
"The last 4 and a half years you showed the world what living and loving looked like and this was always done with the biggest smile on your face.
"I will miss you my little mate. All my love, Kev x."
Rob Burrow passed away peacefully at Pinderfields Hospital with his family by his side.
Fans are invited to pay their respects to Rob in the South Stand at his beloved Headingley Stadium, with the gates open from Sunday evening for visitors and floral tributes already mounting up.
Leeds Rhinos' tribute to Rob Burrow CBE
Leeds Rhinos legend Rob Burrow has passed away at the age of 41
It is with deep sadness that the club can confirm that former player Rob Burrow CBE has passed away, aged 41.
Rob inspired the entire country with his brave battle against Motor Neurone Disease (MND) since his diagnosis in December 2019. He passed away peacefully at Pinderfields Hospital near his home surrounded by his loving family after becoming ill earlier this week.
Burrow played his entire career with Leeds Rhinos and won every honour with the club as part of their golden generation. A hard working and dedicated player, his fearless performances made him one of the most respected players in the Rhinos ranks.
Rob rose through the club’s Academy ranks to make his debut in 2001. In 2004, he was part of the Leeds team that ended a 32-year wait to win the Championship with victory in the Grand Final. It was the first of eight Grand Final wins for Burrow including winning the Man of the Match award in the 2007 and 2011 Old Trafford showpieces. The 2011 game included his breathtaking try that is still regarded as the greatest Grand Final try ever scored.
In total he made 492 appearances for the club, placing him in fifth in the club’s all-time list of career appearances. He scored 196 tries for a total of 1,103 points. He was capped 15 times by England and played five more tests for Great Britain including a Man of the Series performance in 2007 for the national side. He won the Challenge Cup at Wembley in 2014 and 2015 as well as three World Club Challenges and three League Leaders Shields.
Following his MND diagnosis in December 2019, Burrow and his family took the decision to open their doors to show the impact of the disease and raise awareness and funds for the MND community. Since then Burrow has inspired two award winning documentaries, wrote a best selling autobiography, hosted an award winning podcast and was awarded a CBE from HRH Prince William at AMT Headingley in January 2023.
Along with his friend and former team mate Kevin Sinfield, Burrow has inspired nearly £20 million in fundraising across the UK and Ireland. This has included raising over £6 million to build the Rob Burrow Centre for MND in Leeds as a lasting legacy for those who follow him in their own personal battles with the disease.
On behalf of the Burrow family, we would like to thank the staff at Pinderfields Hospital for their compassion and caring for Rob in his final days. Fittingly, as a tribute to the incredible work done by Rob, the groundbreaking of the new Rob Burrow Centre for MND at Seacroft Hospital on Monday will go ahead as planned at Rob's request. At this time, we would ask that everyone respect the privacy of the Burrow family.
Well wishers who wish to pay their respects to Rob can do so in the South Stand at Rob's beloved Headingley Stadium, with the gates open from Sunday evening for visitors to come.
How to support Rob Burrows' family or MND
If you would like to support Rob’s family directly, you can do so here
If you would like to support the MND Association, whom Rob was Patron of, you can do so on Rob’s Fightback Fund page
If you would like to support the Leeds Hospitals Charity appeal to build the Rob Burrow Centre for MND you can do so here
Featured image: Leeds Rhinos
Leeds
Kirkstall Brewery and Little Bao Boy unveil new Leeds taproom
You know the venue, and you know the operators behind it, but things are looking a little different over on Sovereign Street.
Leeds' very own Kirkstall Brewery has teamed up with street food legends Little Bao Boy to totally reinvent the city centre taproom formerly known as North Taproom.
At the all-new The City Taproom, you'll find a way cosier space alongside their sun-soaked terrace, as they aim to reimagine a traditional city centre pub.
Across 16 tap lines there are loads of Kirkstall Brewery classics, like Kirkstall Pilsner, Virtuous and Judicious, plus a rotating selection of guest beers from top British breweries - and Guinness, of course.
The City Taproom will also feature two new cask lines: one serving Three Swords as a staple, and the other on rotation starting this month with Golden Hour.
There's a bigger kitchen for Little Bao Boy too, which means an even larger menu of bao and Asian street food, like loaded fries, noodles, and rice bowls.
Little Bao Boy was founded 10 years ago by James Ooi, specialising in home-made bao buns and traditional Asian street food with a contemporary western twist.
Kirkstall have injected the huge space with the traditional essence of a proper Kirkstall establishment, with that kind of cosy atmosphere you know them for at the brewery's other sites.
Little Bao Boy at City TaproomKirkstall Brewery pints and cocktails
This is yet another of the local brewery's openings in the city centre, joining their recent renovation of The Victoria & Commercial in partnership with Whitelocks, plus their stewardship of the historic Tetley brewery building.
James Ooi, founder of Little Bao Boy said: "We have been part of this venue since day one, through COVID, outside seating, and new owners, and we are so excited for this refurb.
"On the food side, expect more collaborations, faster service, and a better overall customer experience. We are extremely grateful Kirkstall saw the value in this refurb and can't wait to get back open."
Steve Holt, founder of Kirkstall Brewery, said: "We're delighted to unveil a new presentation for the Taproom on Sovereign Street.
"It has been named The City Taproom after a famous but long-gone Leeds pub known as ‘The City’, which was situated where the statue of the Dortmund Brewer now stands. Images of the original City pub are a feature in the new look City Taproom, which can best be described as a 're-imagination' of a traditional city-centre pub.
"The City Taproom celebrates Leeds and its rich pub and brewing heritage. We hope that it will become a popular addition to the amazing and diverse venues that make Leeds such a vibrant City for hospitality and entertainment."
It's all the bits you loved before, just a little bigger and a whole lot better.
The City Taproom opens at 3 Sovereign Street on Thursday 23 April.
The route for next year’s historic women’s Tour de France has been announced – and it all starts in Leeds
Danny Jones
The route for next year's women's historic Tour de France has been announced, with some of the best riders in the world set to begin the race from right here in Leeds.
Announced back in January, the 2027 Tour de France Femme avec Zwift will be making its British debut next year.
And this week, the full route has been revealed, which will all begin here in the race's host city of Leeds.
From here, riders will zip across through Yorkshire to Manchester, before turning back and heading down through the Peak District to Sheffield.
Around 230,000 people packed into the city centre to cheer the riders on their way during the Tour de France’s Grand Départ in 2014, with another two million spectators lining the rest of the race’s Yorkshire route. It's hoped that similar scenes will happen again this year.
It's yet another big coup for the region and Yorkshire's sporting scene.
Speaking with Manchester City Council earlier this week, Dame Sarah Storey joined many in celebrating another huge moment for us; the female Tour de France is not just back up and running, but aiming to become bigger than ever.
🚴♀️ The world’s best cyclists are heading to Manchester! 🚴♀️
The routes for the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift 2027 have now been revealed, with Manchester set to host the Stage One finish on Friday 30 July and the Stage Two start on Saturday 31 July. pic.twitter.com/OMMlhdorqP
— Manchester City Council (@ManCityCouncil) April 21, 2026
The Stockport-born swimmer turned Team GB cyclist and multi-Olympic gold medallist knows all about what makes this particular sport special, having swapped a previous and highly successful career for an entirely different discipline.
As has now been fully confirmed, the 2027 Grand Départ will be getting underway in Leeds, before heading through Yorkshire and on to our friends in Greater Manchester.
Spread across two incredible days, the race itself will finish in Sheffield, with another UK first happening down in London, as the capital will also host the inaugural team time trial held in this country.
You can see the official event's breakdown of what locations feature in which stages of 'The Big Loop' in more detail below.
Councillor James Lewis, leader of Leeds City Council, said: "We might be more than a year away from welcoming the Grand Départ of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift to Leeds, but there is already a good deal of excitement building around the event.
"Today’s route announcement will hopefully whet people’s appetites still further and get them thinking about where in the city they will be watching the race.
"We recognise that some residents and businesses will now have questions about how an occasion of this size could impact local communities on the day.
"They can be assured that we will be working hard alongside the race organisers to minimise any disruption and will also make every effort to keep people fully informed as plans for the event continue to take shape."
Daisy Jackson -
3rd June 2024 
