Russell Crowe urges fans to attend Challenge Cup Final in honour of Rob Burrow

The RFL announced the latest plans to pay tribute to Rob Burrow yesterday. The Challenge Cup final will break with tradition and kick off at 3:07 in tribute to Burrow, in a fitting tribute to the Leeds Rhinos legend. 

The RFL also announced that there will be a minute’s applause in the seventh minute in each of the four finals to be played on the day as part of the celebration of Burrow’s life. There will be a minute’s silence held before both the men’s and women’s finals. This will be held after the traditional hymn, Abide with Me, is sung.

Upon announcing the news, the RL Commercial’s Managing Director, Rhodri Jones stated, “Once the shock and sadness of Sunday night’s news had sunk in, we recognised the responsibility to provide a fitting celebration of a Rugby League superhero.

“We are grateful to BBC Sport and Wembley Stadium for their support – and to all involved with the six clubs and two schools who will be playing at Wembley on Saturday.”

Now, Russell Crowe has added his voice to the floods of tributes to Burrow, urging fans to attend the finals to pay their own tributes.

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Russell Crowe urges fans to pay tribute to Rob Burrow

Russell Crowe has a long association with the game of Rugby League and is co-owner of NRL franchise, the South Sydney Rabbitohs. He also has an association with the city of Leeds and is known to be a passionate Leeds United supporter.

Now, Crowe has urged the Rugby League community to pay tribute to Rob Burrow by attending the Challenge Cup final at Wembley, and joining in with the RFL’s planned celebrations.

“This weekend, it’s the Challenge Cup final, it’s Wigan versus Warrington. But more specifically I want to talk to you about the passing of the little champion, Rob Burrow this week. This weekend, at Wembley, when all the finals are taking place, in every finals game in the seventh minute there’s going to be a minute of celebration of Rob’s life and his contribution to the sport and beautifully, it’s not going to be a minute’s silence, it’s going to be a minute of applause, and I think that’s befitting of the little champion.

Challenge Cup on the weekend ⁦@WiganWarriorsRL⁩ ⁦@WarringtonRLFC⁩ . A word about Rob Burrows… pic.twitter.com/KmUHmIgltE

— Russell Crowe (@russellcrowe) June 6, 2024

“Personally, I have some guilt to bear, because I was supposed to do his podcast and it’s one of those things that I kept saying to myself – get around to it, get around to it, now I’m going to have to deal with the fact that I messed that up.

“Anyway, so, if you love Rugby League and you love what that little champion did in every single jersey that he ever played in, go to Wembley. Go to Wembley and celebrate the Rugby League community.”