England unveil Rob Burrow inspired shirt for 2023 internationals

England rugby league have announced their latest fundraising efforts in support of Motor Neurone Disease and Rob Burrow ahead of their double-header in Warrington.

England’s men and women sides will both play France’s respective teams on Saturday April 29, live on Sky Sports.

A break has been arranged in the domestic season to enable the fixtures to take place, with the women kicking off at 2pm and the men at 4.30pm.

And England will wear specially-designed kits for the internationals, inspired by an England shirt closely associated with Rob Burrow – the 2012 Autumn Internationals shirt featuring an artistic representation of the St George’s cross across the length and breadth of the shirt. The new design incorporates the MND Association’s colours and logo, and on the back includes Rob’s own immortal words: ‘In a world full of adversity, we must dare to dream’.

Burrow was diagnosed with MND in 2019 and has inspired several outstanding fundraising efforts for MND research since then.

5,000 people in the UK are living with MND, a progressive disease affecting the brain and the spinal cord for which there is currently no cure. England rugby league kit partner Oxen, in associated with RL Commercial, will donate £10 from the sale of each England replica shirt to the MND Association, while £2.50 from every match ticket sold for the England v France internationals will also go to the charity.

England to wear Rob Burrow inspired shirt in 2023

RL Commercial managing director, Rhodri Jones, said: “For the third year running our partners at Oxen, together with RL Commercial, are supporting a cause close to the hearts of so many in rugby league.

“Our relationship with the MND Association follows our work with the Mose Masoe Foundation in 2021 and fundraising for Tongan tsunami relief in 2022 when both England and the Combined Nations All Stars wore Tonga-inspired shirts.

“Wouldn’t it be amazing if we could sell 5,000 replica shirts – one for every person currently living with MND in the UK? I’m delighted to say that both matches will be broadcast live by Sky Sports and to see legions of England fans at the game wearing this iconic shirt would make very special television.”

Kevin Sinfield OBE added: “The shirt represents three things I love dearly: England rugby league; the MND community and, of course, Rob. Throughout Rob’s diagnosis the rugby league world has got completely behind him. It shows the impact he had and continues to have on the sport. And the players who get to wear it will feel incredibly proud to represent Rob and their country. They’ll feel 10 feet tall.

“What we’ve seen over the last couple of years, and with Doddie before, is that awareness is vital. It’s important that we keep banging the drum and raising funds. We need to find a cure.”

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