Star-studded teams for 745 Game revealed with incredible Rob Burrow tribute
From left to right: Adrian Morley, Danny McGuire, Danny Cipriani and Billy Twelvetrees are set to play in the 745 Game
The team line-ups have been revealed for this weekend’s historic cross-code 745 Game at Headingley, and the rugby league side is littered with legends.
Sunday’s game will be a hybrid of rugby league and rugby union rules.
It was an idea that Rob Burrow and former Leicester and Gloucester rugby union player Ed Slater were developing before Leeds Rhinos legend Burrow passed away in June this year, losing his battle with motor neurone disease aged just 41.
The distinctive name for the match – the 745 Game – comes from the numbers worn by Burrow (7) and Slater (4) during their player careers along with Scottish rugby union legend Doddie Weir (5), who lost his own battle with MND back in 2022.
Getting underway at 3pm, former stars of both codes will come together for the ground breaking clash, which is hoped could become an annual event to support MND communities across the country.
And with the revealing of the line-ups, excitement is building even more.
The full squads can be viewed in full below, with Geoff Burrow – father of the late, great Rob – set to feature after being named on Team Burrow’s interchange bench!
Team Burrow
Starting: Garry Connolly; Tom Minns, Keith Senior, Ryan Atkins, Waine Pryce; Danny McGuire, Luke Gale; Ewan Dowes, Paul McShane, Kylie Leuluai, Gareth Ellis, Ben Westwood, Adrian Morley.
Bench: Geoff Burrow, Matt Diskin, Bob Beswick, Luke Ambler, Brett Delaney, Jimmy Keinhorst, Darrell Griffin, Kyle Wood, Aaron Murphy, Scott Murrell, Wayne Godwin, Danny Brough.
Non-players: Kevin Sinfield (hospitality host), Barrie McDermott (hospitality host), Iestyn Harris, Jamie Jones-Buchanan, James Roby.
Team Slater
Starting: Alex Waller; Tom Youngs, Guy Thompson, Tom Wood, Tom Johnson; Phil Dowson, Micky Young; Danny Cipriani; Billy Twelvetrees, Dom Waldouck; Joe Simpson, Matt Banahan, Geordan Murphy.
Bench: Andy Forsyth, Anthony Allen, Finlay Stewart, Graham Kitchener, Kian Stewart, Kyle Traynor, Lee Dickson, Matt Cornwell, Matt Garvey, Michael Holford, Owain James, Paddy McAllister, Tom Cruse, Tommy Bell, Ben Pienaar, Angus Weir, Hamish Weir.
Non-players: Jonny Wilkinson (hospitality host), Mark Atkinson, Richard Hibbard, Brett Deacon, Darren Garforth, Ryan Lamb.
745 Game: The rules
Two referees will take charge at Headingley, league’s Ben Thaler and union’s Frank Murphy, owing to a complex and mixed set of laws.
- 13-a-side – six forwards, seven backs
- Each team can bring on a goal kicker only for kicks at goal
- Unlimited tackles in your own half but six tackles once attacking team passes half way
- Unlimited interchanges
- Uncontested scrums from knock ons and forward passes. These are taken on the 20m mark in from touch, attacking team can select which side of the field scrum is placed
- Uncontested five man line outs when ball goes into touch
- One-on-one ball steals allowed in tackle before attacking ball carrier gets to ground, once knee to ground, tackle complete, play the ball to restart play
- Two markers at tackle, offside is five metres from the play the ball
- Two referees, one union, one league. One officiating the ruck, the other offside
- Five points for a try, two for a penalty, conversion and drop goal
- If the ball is knocked dead in goal, goal line drop out from the defending team, must go at least ten metres
- Penalties kicked to touch re-start with a line out or take tap from where penalty is awarded, advantage for union but encourages league to attack from penalties
Tickets are still available to purchase for this Sunday’s game, and can be bought here. The game will raise money for the Rob Burrow Discretionary Fund, 4ED and the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation.
