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Leeds Rhinos legend Rob Burrow to be guest of honour as they take on New Zealand

Leeds Rhinos legend Rob Burrow MBE will be the guest of honour on Saturday night for the Bartercard International Challenge between Leeds Rhinos and New Zealand at Headingley, kick off 6pm.

The game is set to be a farewell to a number of Leeds players who are headed to pastures new in 2023 such as Burrow’s former teammates Tom Briscoe and Liam Sutcliffe as well as the man who initially replaced him at Leeds, Brad Dwyer.

The eight time Grand Final winner will be back at the stadium on a match day for this special occasion with his family having attended our Magic Weekend clash up at Newcastle earlier this year.

The game will have special significance for Burrow as his greatest achievement on the international stage came against New Zealand when he was Man of the Series for Great Britain against the Kiwis in 2007.

The Bartercard International Challenge is New Zealand’s only warm up game ahead of the Rugby League World Cup and continues the heritage of a fixture that stretches back to the 1907-08 New Zealand All Golds tour. The two sides last met in 2015 at Headingley.

Earlier this week it was announced that a new BBC documentary will come out this Autumn following Rob and his family entitled Rob Burrow: Living with MND.

In December 2019, Rob was diagnosed with motor neurone disease and told there was no treatment that could prevent the inevitable outcome. However, Burrow, just as he did on the rugby field, has defied the odds since then becoming an ambassador for all those impacted by the disease inspiring vital fundraising and, most importantly, hope.

His public battle with the disease from his diagnosis was captured in an award winning documentary called Rob Burrow: My year with MND and now the same team behind that documentary take an intimate look at his life now.

It follows the love and support of Rob’s family, friends and the wider Rugby League community. The documentary shows his wife, Lindsey, who Rob met when they were teenagers, care for him as she juggles looking after their three young children Macy (10), Maya (7), and Jackson (3), as well working for the NHS as a physiotherapist. It will show the huge role his parents Geoff and Irene play to the 24-hour care Rob needs.

Watch Rob Burrow: Living with MND on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer at 7pm on Tuesday 18 October.

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