Prince William surprises Rob Burrow and Kevin Sinfield with CBEs
The prince commended their remarkable endeavors in their campaign for motor neurone disease charity fundraising.
During a meeting in Leeds, the Prince of Wales unexpectedly presented rugby league greats Rob Burrow and Kevin Sinfield with their CBEs, much to their amazement.
At Headingley Stadium, which is the residence of Leeds Rhinos, both of the men used to play, and there the duo was met by Prince William.
Burrow and Sinfield received CBEs in the recent New Year Honours list as a recognition of their efforts in raising funds for research on motor neurone disease.
Since Burrow was diagnosed with the illness in 2019, the duo has gathered over £15 million for charitable causes.
The prince mentioned that he had their CBEs with him and asked if it was alright to give them to them at that moment.
I believed that today was a desirable day as you are presently located in Leeds, your domicile, with the company of your loved ones and acquaintances.
Giving Burrow the accolade, he stated: "Rob, you have received numerous expressions of gratitude and felicitations for your inspiring efforts. You've been outstanding and all of us are immensely proud of you."
During the royal visit to Headingley Stadium in Leeds, Kevin Sinfield accompanied Prince William in meeting with Rob Burrow and his family.
The prince invested some of his time conversing with the duo regarding their past careers as rugby league athletes.
At 43 years old, Sinfield has accomplished an array of immense endurance challenges. His most recent act of raising funds was by accomplishing seven ultra marathons in the course of one week.
He set a goal to gather £77,777, yet with the contribution of several people, he managed to exceed it and collect £2.7 million.
He congratulated the ex-player and expressed his amazement for what the individual has accomplished. The tone of the message was overwhelmingly positive and filled with praise.
The tremendous wave of support and generosity that you have generated for fundraising and taking care of one another and for MND is immense.
The prince mentioned, "Take good care of your knees, hips, and all that, however it's been quite amazing."
Greeting Prince William at the stadium, Burrow expressed: "For the past week, my kids have been rehearsing their manners and eagerly anticipating meeting you."
Burrow made a humorous remark regarding a moniker that former rugby player Mike Tindall had given to Prince Charles - "One Pint Willy."
During an appearance on Burrow's podcast, Tindall revealed that he and his wife Zara, who is a cousin of the prince, had made an admission.
The prince responded, saying, "You managed to extract the nicknames from him. He offered an apology to me for that."
Burrow, who used to play as a scrum-half and was with the Rhinos for his whole career, found out that he had MND two years after he stopped playing professionally.
From that point on, he has worked together with his loved ones and companions to organize events for gathering funds and spreading knowledge about the illness.
The prince expressed appreciation for the exceptional fundraising achievements of the duo in the past few years.
Burrow and Sinfield were teammates from 2001 to 2015, and during this time, they were able to win a total of seven Grand Finals, two Challenge Cup Finals at Wembley, and three World Club titles. They played together and achieved a lot throughout their time on the field.
During a conversation with the duo about their time as athletes, the prince complimented them by saying they were "a highly successful duo" and praised Burrow's agility and speed on the court.
He further stated that nobody was able to capture or apprehend you.
The prince referred to Burrow as a source of motivation for the MND community. Burrow's response was that they never intended to become an inspiration. Their aim was solely to assist individuals in comparable circumstances.
"I am attempting to live my life in the most positive and fulfilling way possible, despite the obstacles that have come my way."
Burrow's wife Lindsey and their three children accompanied him at Headingley Stadium.
He stated that he owes his presence here to his wife Lindsey's love and support. He further expressed that she possesses a strength that surpasses that of any rugby player he has ever competed against.
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