Rob Burrow Interview on BBC Breakfast

now he was the rugby league star still is who defied his small stature to become one of the sports true great or now Rob borough is tackling his biggest challenge yet after being diagnosed with motor neurone disease our fans and players showed their support yesterday with a special benefit match at his former home club Leeds Rhinos we'll talk to him in a moment isn't every to see you here thanks for coming in firstly let's have a look at what was really emotional day at Headingley [Music] with his youngest to Jackson it is [Music] just come to show my support I robbed in the whole game show while were a family as we are as a small we've all been touched by Rob starring so if I okay that we come out and just show that we are here to spoil each other where have you traveled from today from Birmingham that's quite a trek why'd you come to support rub burrow and just the fields five minutes to go Lila saluted [Music] see the emotion oh space everybody in the stadium standing to afford rubber Oh [Applause] it's hot I mean what an incredible day Rob that that must have been were you prepared for her just how emotional that was gonna be for you and your family no no really you get the solid gesture were black but Winnie they're totally overwhelming amazing day I've been looking up to you know and your mini date on that ground boy nothing like that take us through that moment with everybody watching and you running on to the pitch emotional and you know when I came on it the emotion just hit me and you know I'm not an emotional person but oh oh well that came home and the old friends unbelievable feeling what have the last few week we take months back see it's sort of weeks isn't in the last few weeks have been like for you because you were diagnose at the end of last year and I know that and you in all the interviews you've done and any time you speak to anybody about motor neurone disease you don't want people's pity no you're just using your position and the fame that you have to try and raise awareness for this disease and you've done that incredibly over the last few weeks well I said they don't know that much about the disease so the fact that I've got the back in more black and you know what weird on me it was very weird yeah yeah so you know Ramirez got it now rumbling of it so made awareness and ov they find ya oh you've been in touch with dodgy haven't you yeah tell tell us why were you in touch because you thought something was up with you what happened no I was now he knows I like a ready to meet him lovely guy so inspiring um you know the way he approached in it and the way I want to go I'm no my life and must I can't really follow him and I wanted me line up I remember Dottie's saying and Stephen Darby as well many people know from the football world it's a while to get diagnosed is that is that a challenge that you had as well no I was lucky I was no no with free week so a lot of a mom you know day yeah no mine now I find that every week so I'm okay I'm dangerous so you know why I can new made awareness among happen um so they told you what that your early stages when did you start realizing that something was out what was going on my speech was slurred family telling me I'm slow my speech bit I don't really believe them and they'd gone worse so I had an old injury um I went for a job in my shoulder imagine it to the doc about my speech they got me jack no make wind why I was named know what did you know at that stage what do you know about motor neurone disease not much yeah not much I'll read up on the internet about the symptoms what in combine anything Outlander cell and nearly bit more when I found nothing massive a shock yeah I suppose nothing can prepare you for that cannot either no laughing no nobody done yeah I would survive the we need on that um really show me where my wife mom you know Madison now mom was she was she with you at the time yeah yeah I mean presumably doctors have to give this kind of they have to tell people this information do they support you through yeah they do yeah I mean it's not easy but how do you tell people you know you've got something where there's no you know um you know Linda were the Grail one now and you know marijuana and his parents as well there's that heartbreaking decision of when you tell your children yeah and how you tell your children yeah how did you as a family do that so what to do it with much fun our beer wagon and don't my again and I want to know you know so they found now they don't know about much what they know now or so you know move along the right way and you know I'm being um how old are they and we can see them they're here yeah eight four on one yeah and children can be great levelers company yeah what did you say - man the middle one cent weight turns out far more it yeah the middle of yeah perfect yeah yeah I find it fascinating I'm sure many of our viewers where you're you're sat here and you're so level-headed about it about telling your children you know a disease but it's currently incurable how do you if you think it's part of your sporting background and the fact that you've had to fight you know people many people know rope broke believable know you're only five foot four and everyone who told you kind of a career in sport particularly rugby league when you're so small and you had to fight improve people wrong in your life as a sportsman is that the same sort of attitude you're taking with you now into this fight against motor neurone disease no intent and lied down maybe the smart person you know and don't know I mean love them more they're fine can we we just want to play we spoke to people after the testimony actually we just want to play you a clip of I just think it's fantastic covered the Rugby League community in a spy community in general and I think that you know the northern areas you're channeling could have pulled together for Rob he's a special person it's a special day for him that's cars for a brother yeah it's for him yeah why no I love him you know he's one of our best pals he's an absolute champion block and he cut me a guy that would do anything you know he's one of them guys do anything for you you don't get many of them in year in your lifetime you know friendships or almost respect for him and he's a champion he's a butler and everyone will be alongside him helping him along the way he's special to share awardees it's wonderful I've never a minute twenty years the one year without the Bunder brothers that has just come on and Rob's very much included in that there are some things in life for our control but the things become we're gonna do our very best to support him in his family and the time that's really did forgot obviously yeah it's so much support yeah I think it's worth mentioning as well it was actually it was Jamie James Buchanan he's a great friend of yours his testimonial and he said to you let's do it together and we'll share the proceeds all those people came hundreds of fans thousands of fans turned up and travel from all over the country as well and also it was broadcast live on Sky Sports and everybody just worked on the game for free I mean what do you say to that you know totally overwhelmed very humble male big master gaming jaws and mil friend you know a motional day but what I'll never bring it and I suppose the question for me as well as what what are the priorities here now sort of personally and also from this kind of diseases point of view because you said there's so little known about it what would you like to see happen I love to the more research warm and you know great thing mean done more I mean the gladden in the bar so I'm willing to do whatever domain awareness and don't only wear has done a great job I'm no ma I'm sure your you know meeting with specialists and getting medical means all the time what have you been told about the next few years well I'm really early stages so that's good my menu it tells me my nerves younger so they should last longer and mom yeah I'm Manuel my voice sounds really mouse over knife and great so and all the same all the time I'll get worse but at the moment I feel great so you've got such a positive message yeah I'm do you at times feel frustrated or you just right I'm gonna fight this man about the boys I and my brain worked up way more it's me right mom I'm fine yeah Amir and also it's um I know lots of people who get the disease motor neurone disease they tend to get in their 50s it's interesting that you and Dolly we're and Steven Darby it must be some research into these young youngish sports people who were who are getting the disease that's right younger people seem to me smart people so well there's a link in there mom oh it's so lovely to see you thank you so much for coming and I know you're gonna get lots more support and messages so thank you ladies have you on the program here raising all that money as well no nearly a quarter million pounds already in just the last few weeks so motor neuron disease foundation so thank you so much for coming

Channel: Rugby League

Views: 74,987

Rating: 4.9221792 out of 5

Keywords: super, league, rugby, sport, big, hits

Id: UMOn_mWWPCw

Length: 11min 46sec (706 seconds)

Published: Mon Jan 13 2020