Some people reading this may not have heard of Rob Burrow, or the horrible disease Motor Neurone Disease (MND). To be honest, most of our team hadn’t heard of MND until a few years ago.

We have certainly heard of Rob Burrow though! He is a local lad who, despite only being 5’4” tall, was blessed with an amazing talent for rugby. He played Rugby League at the highest level, world class level in fact, playing for his beloved Leeds Rhinos, England and Great Britain.

Rob was diagnosed with MND back in 2019, and has gone through the toughest time living with this horrific disease.

We’re a bunch of eight mates based in Featherstone and Pontefract in West Yorkshire. The group includes ex-semi professional and amateur Rugby League and Rugby Union players, and former military personnel.

The idea for the ride came about when six of us, who would occasionally go out cycling around the Yorkshire countryside, all agreed that we wanted to help Rob in someway. A ‘Ride for Rob’ was suggested and Team RB was formed! 

A friend, and also ex-Rugby League player, suggested the ‘Way of the Roses’ cycle route (wayoftheroses.co.uk) as a tough challenge. It goes coast-to-coast, from Morecombe to Bridlington, and is 170 miles in total! We will be carrying it out in three stages, over three consecutive days: 28-30 July. Day one = 51 miles, day 2 = 79 miles, day 3 = 40 miles.

So, with our challenge in place, training began casually in early spring. As of 2 April, we are all officially in “Ride for Rob Bootcamp”, with the training increasing in intensity up until the ride itself.

Rob has used his public profile to good means; filming a documentary, raising awareness and participating in fundraising events with his family, friends and Rugby League family behind him.

We now need to do more to help people who are not as lucky as Rob - the Postman or Bricklayer who lives alone, and suddenly gets the same diagnosis. Your donations will help these people, and the 5,000 people in the UK currently suffering with MND.

Please sponsor our ride to support the amazing work that the MNDA do, and help build The Rob Burrow Centre for MND. Sharing this page with your friends will help us reach our sponsorship goal too.

Many thanks,

Duggie Summers (Team Leader)

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