Prince William and Kate Middleton honour Rugby legend Rob Burrow following his passing

Prince William is paying tribute to Rob Burrow after the rugby star’s death at age 41 following a battle with motor neurone disease.

“A legend of Rugby League, Rob Burrow had a huge heart. He taught us, ‘In a world full of adversity, we must dare to dream,’” William, 42, wrote via his and wife Princess Kate Middleton’s official Instagram Story on Sunday, June 2. “Catherine and I send our love to Lindsey, Jackson, Maya, and Macy.”

William signed the message, “W.”

On Sunday, Leeds Rhino — the rugby team where Burrow played his entire career — broke the news of his death.

“It is with deep sadness that the club can confirm that former player Rob Burrow CBE has passed away, aged 41,” read a statement on the official Leeds Rhino website. “Rob inspired the entire country with his brave battle against Motor Neurone Disease (MND) since his diagnosis in December 2019. He passed away peacefully at Pinderfields Hospital near his home surrounded by his loving family after becoming ill earlier this week.”

The organisation called Burrow a “hard-working and dedicated player,” noting that his “fearless performances” made him “one of the most respected players in the Rhinos ranks.”

Since his diagnosis, Burrow dedicated himself to raising awareness for the condition alongside his former teammate Kevin Sinfield. The twosome have “inspired nearly £20 million in fundraising across the UK and Ireland,” Leeds Rhino wrote.

The Burrow family noted that the “outpouring of love and support” that Rob received over the past few years “meant so much” to him.

“Rob never accepted that he couldn’t do something, he just found his own way of doing it better than anyone else,” the Burrow family wrote in a statement to ESPN on Sunday. “He will continue to inspire us all every day. In a world full of adversity, we must dare to dream.”

MND is “a group of progressive neurological disorders that destroy motor neurons,” per the U.S. National Institutes of Health. The motor neurons control functions like walking, breathing, speaking, and swallowing. ALS, Kennedy’s disease, and spinal muscular atrophy are a few of the diagnoses that fall under the umbrella term.