Money raised for MND in charity football match for former Leeds Rhinos star Rob Burrow

Hundreds showed up for the contest as the local community came together in support of Rob Burrow and attempts to raise money for the Motor Neurone Disease Centre to be built in Leeds.

The contest saw local charity side The Kews take on Yorkshire Athletic with The Kews running out 5-2 winners.

It was the latest in a series of events to raise money for the former Leeds Rhinos rugby star, Burrow, 39, who is now wheelchair bound having been diagnosed with MND in 2019.

MND is a degenerative disease which affects nerves in the brain and spinal cord, and has been known to affect former sports men and women including the late Glasgow Rangers star Fernando Ricksen.

Organised by local charity campaigner, Darren Powell, the event raised £2,366 towards the MND Foundation and the new £5m state of the art MND centre which is to be built at Leeds' Seacroft Hospital.

Darren, from Wakefield, has helped to raise more than £85,000 over the last five years with his charity team The Kews, named in honour of Darren's friend Michael Kew, who lost his own cancer battle in April 2015, aged 40.

Darren, who travelled to watch Leeds United home and away with Michael, vowed to raise £100,000 for charitable causes in his memory.

A previous charity match in August when The Kews played Rory's Rovers raised £8,000 for Rob and the MND Foundation.

Rob was in attendance at the game and was given a guard of honour as his dad pushed him onto the field.

The match was refereed by Yorkshire born Premier League referee, Andrew Madley.

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