Too Many Reasons to Live

Description

The huge Sunday Times number one bestselling inspirational memoir from rugby league legend Rob Burrow on his extraordinary career and his battle with motor neurone disease. 'A pocket rocket of a player and a giant of a character . . . He is one in a million and his story is truly inspirational' - Clare Balding 'I'm not giving in until my last breath' - Rob Burrow Rob Burrow is one of the greatest rugby league players of all time. And the most inspirational. As a boy, Rob was told he was too small to play the sport. Even when he made his debut for Leeds Rhinos, people wrote him off as a novelty. But Rob never stopped proving people wrong. During his time at Leeds, for whom he played almost 500 games, he won eight Super League Grand Finals, two Challenge Cups and three World Club Challenges. He also played for his country in two World Cups. In December 2019, Rob was diagnosed with motor neurone disease, a rare degenerative condition, and given a couple of years to live. He was only thirty-seven, not long retired and had three young children. When he went public with the devastating news, the outpouring of affection and support was extraordinary. When it became clear that Rob was going to fight it all the way, sympathy turned to awe. This is the story of a tiny kid who adored rugby league but never should have made it - and ended up in the Leeds hall of fame. It's the story of a man who resolved to turn a terrible predicament into something positive - when he could have thrown the towel in. It's about the power of love, between Rob and his childhood sweetheart Lindsey, and of friendship, between Rob and his faithful teammates. Far more than a sports memoir, Too Many Reasons to Live is a story of boundless courage and infinite kindness.

Rob Burrow is a former professional rugby league footballer who spent sixteen years playing for Leeds Rhinos in the Super League, before retiring in 2017. An England and Great Britain representative, he spent his entire professional career with Leeds. At five foot five, and weighing less than eleven stone, Burrow was known for many years as 'the smallest player in Super League'. Despite this, he was one of the most successful players in the competition's history, winning a total of eight Super League championships and two Challenge Cups, being named on the Super League Dream Team on three occasions, and winning the Harry Sunderland Trophy twice. On 19 December 2019 it was publicly revealed Burrow had been diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND). The BBC followed Rob for a year for their documentary My Year with MND. It was watched by over two million people. Too Many Reasons to Live is his first book.

Occasionally in life you come across a person who is talented yet humble, brave but not foolish, iconic and unaware of his own impact. Rob Burrow is such a man - a pocket rocket of a player and a giant of a character. It has been a privilege to watch him play and to know him off the pitch. He is one in a million and his story is truly inspirational -- Clare Balding Rob might say that I inspired him, but he inspired me. He's just phenomenal -- Doddie Weir I've always loved watching rugby league and was a fan of Rob from the first time I watched him play. He was one of those players who stood out and had this aura about him. Although he was the smallest on the field, he epitomized what the sport was all about: being fast, strong, skilful and entertaining. After watching him throughout his career I was devastated to hear the news of his MND diagnosis. But one thing is for sure, Rob is a mentally tough individual who won't give up without a fight. A loving family man, an incredible athlete and a great role model for anybody out there. Legend -- Wayne Rooney Rob is a true warrior and hero to many but also a genuine and kind man who'd do anything for anybody. I've known him a long time, from idolizing him when I was a boy to meeting him and later being able to call him a friend. It will be the honour of my life to read Rob's words and to voice his extraordinary story -- Matthew Lewis, actor