Leeds Rhinos legend Rob Burrow has announced this season will be the last of his career and he will retire at the end of the current Super League season.
The 34-year-old has spent his entire career with the Rhinos and has won every honour with the club. He will take up a new role within the club from next season in the player performance department working with the club’s youth and talent development programme.
In total he has appeared in 22 finals for the club, winning seven Grand Finals, three World Club Challenges, three League Leaders Shields and two Challenge Cups, perhaps scoring the greatest ever Grand Final try in 2011, when he won the Harry Sunderland Trophy to boot.
He has made a remarkable 486 appearances for Leeds, making him fifth in the all time list of appearances for the club behind John Holmes (625), Fred Webster (543), Kevin Sinfield (521) and John Atkinson (518) and just ahead of David Ward (482).
He said: “It has been an honour to play for Leeds my entire career and I feel now is the right time to move on to the next chapter. I have been part of so many fantastic memories down the years and hopefully we can create a few more in the months ahead, before I hang up my boots.
“Player development is something that has always interested me having worked with the scholarship for many years earlier in my career and seen players like Stevie Ward, Liam Sutcliffe and Ashton Golding come through from being schoolboys to first team players. Hopefully I can pass on my experience and love of the club to the next generation in my new role.”
Head coach Brian McDermott added: “Rob will be remembered as one of the greats of our game, not just in the Super League era but throughout the history of the sport. He is someone who never gave in to the doubts of others early in his career and has continued to strive for excellence ever since.
“His role within the team has changed over the past 15 years but his selfless attitude has meant he has always put the needs of the team ahead of his own preferences and has collected a host of silverware in return.
“Rob is one of the most popular members of our squad and I am delighted he will still be in and around the training ground after his retirement. Just as Kevin Sinfield, Jamie Peacock, Kylie Leuluai and most recently Danny McGuire, have forged their own paths post-rugby, they always know that there is a place for them at the Rhinos.
“Away from the field, Rob and Danny have been exemplary professionals and ambassadors for our club and it is fitting that they will both bow out together.”
