Rob Burrow's parents attend ground-breaking ceremony for new MND centre in Leeds

Rob Burrow's parents said he would be "so proud" as they attended an emotional ceremony at the site of a new motor neurone disease centre being built in his name.

Work started on the Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease (MND), in Leeds, on Monday – less than 24 hours after the death of the ex-Leeds Rhinos rugby player was announced.

Burrow, who was 41, was diagnosed with MND in December 2019.

A ground-breaking ceremony scheduled long before Burrow's death went ahead as planned, with Burrow's parents, Irene and Geoff, in attendance.

Mrs Burrow said: "He wanted this to go ahead. There was no way it wasn't going to happen. He'll be so proud."

Mrs Burrow said she and her husband wanted to attend the event in honour of Burrow's wife, Lindsey, and their three children.

"We've just plucked up the courage haven't we? Because thats what he would've wanted," she said.

Funded by the Leeds Hospitals Charity, the new centre will be the first of its kind in Europe, to give people living with MND the best quality of life.

Around £5.5m of the expected £6.8million cost has been raised so far, including millions from the first two Rob Burrow Leeds Marathons, held in 2023 and 2024.

Supporters, including clinical staff, fundraisers, architects, patients and their families, attended the ground-breaking ceremony at Seacroft Hospital.

They were joined by Burrow's former teammate and fellow fundraiser, Kevin Sinfield.

The centre is expected to take around a year to build.

Meanwhile tributes have continued to flood in for Burrow.

Mrs Burrow said she was "so proud" at the response to his death.

"He was such a lovely, lovely person anyone that met Rob would always say that.. and we're doing him proud aren't we?," she added.

Burrow's dad, Geoff, added: "He was just so genuine. What you saw is what you got with Rob.

"He didn't really like publicity believe it or not but he did it, and he wants us to keep doing it."

Mr Burrow said he wished his son could have seen the centre built before he died but said "we will get it for him and for all the families with MND".

"I know he'd be smiling. He'd be thinking, keep checking on them, dad. Make sure they keep digging," he added.

"But we don't have to check, we know that when this is built, try and imagine what it's going to be like. I just hope i see it."

"I hope the MND community still want us to be involved because once things have settled I'm more determined than ever."

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