Leeds Rhinos have condemned a disgusting fake social media post that claimed rugby league icon Rob Burrow had passed away.
Burrow, 40, is battling motor neuron disease (MND) and has worked tirelessly to raise awareness of the devastating illness since his diagnosis in 2019. His close friend Kevin Sinfield has also played a role in the fight, raising more than £8million for MND charities.
The pair's fantastic work has led to increased media scrutiny, allowing one disgraceful individual to post an appalling lie about Burrow's health on Saturday morning. His former club Leeds Rhinos soon responded by confirming the legendary ex-player is "fine".
The fake social media post, which The Mirror have chosen not to repeat, claimed Burrow had passed away. The individual who made the claim was masquerading as Leeds Rhinos' Facebook account, with more than 9,000 users sharing the misinformation.
The Rhinos' official Twitter account responded by writing: "Please do not share any content on social media regarding Rob. The fake account that was set up today on Facebook to spread hateful news that is totally untrue and upsetting for the family.
"Rob is fine and looking forward to enjoying the Bank Holiday weekend with his family."
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There are calls on social media for the individual who posted the fake news to be arrested. The Rhinos' official Facebook account later confirmed they have "reported the offensive to Meta [Facebook] and hope it will be taken down as social as possible".
Burrow announced his MND diagnosis in December 2019 and has since done a fantastic job to raise awareness of the illness. The inaugural Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon took place earlier this month, with Sinfield carrying his former team-mate over the finish line.
Burrow took part in a heartbreaking documentary about MND for the BBC last year. The rugby league hero said: "I'm a prisoner in my own body. The lights are on, but no-one's home. I think like you, but my mind doesn't work right. I can't move my body."
Burrow's former Rhinos captain Sinfield has ran seven marathons in seven days, ran from Leicester to Leeds (approximately 101 miles) in 24 hours, and ran seven ultramarathons in seven days to raise money for MND charities. Burrow said: "Kev is like a brother. The stress he puts on his body for me, it's unbelievable."
Sinfield added: "Pound for pound, he was probably the strongest player we had in the squad. I'm honoured to have played alongside him."
Burrow spent his entire 16-year professional career with the Rhinos, making almost 500 appearances and winning the Super League eight times. He also won two Challenge Cups, three League Leader's Shields and the World Club Challenge three times. Burrow's success with the Rhinos saw him represent England 15 times and Great Britain five times.
