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The Prince of Wales praised a pair of rugby players-turned-Motor Neuron Disease fundraisers as showing people “how you help each other” during a special visit to Leeds, where the duo was given their honours as Commanders of the British Empire.
Rob Burrow and Kevin Sinfield formerly played for the Leeds Rhinos and now devote their time to campaigning for MND after Burrow received a diagnosis in 2019.
William visited the duo at Headingley Stadium and told them, “You will change so many people’s lives…. everyone’s so proud of you.” To date, Burrow and Sinfield have raised more than £15 million in support of research for the incurable disease.
The future king surprised them with their CBE honours, telling them that he’d brought a surprise, “and I thought I might give them to you if that’s OK, while you’re at your home up in Leeds, surrounded by your family and friends. I thought that today was a good day.”
Burrow, who speaks with a speech aide, told William: “I want to thank you for coming today. It is an honour to meet you. I am feeling good and I am lucky to have the wonderful support of my family and children.”
His daughters were caught on camera practicing their curtsies ahead of meeting William, and said that they were quite excited to meet him.
William spoke with Burrow and Sinfield about their rugby past—both were raised together in Leeds and grew up playing together before eventually joining the Leeds Rhinos—and their efforts to raise money for MND.
“It is amazing what you two have done, honestly,” William told them. “The amount of money you have raised and the profile you have done for MND is just phenomenal. You should be so proud both of you what you have done.”
Later, Burrow gave a speech about meeting William and being recognised for his and Sinfield’s fundraising efforts, telling reporters: “Days like today allow us to keep a spotlight on the disease and continue to raise awareness and hopefully funds to fight the disease and support those who are living with MND and their families.
“It was wonderful that His Royal Highness was able to come to Headingley to see us and very much appreciated. It was lovely to talk to him and for him to meet my family.”
Sinfield added: “We will continue to do what we do. I just see this as going for a run for a mate. A lot of people have done wonderful things across the world at different times, I’ve just done a bit of running. That’s why it’s quite humbling today.”