Russell Crowe has urged lovers of rugby league to attend the Challenge Cup final at Wembley and pay tribute to the "little champion" Rob Burrow.
The Leeds Rhinos icon died on Sunday after being diagnosed with motor neurone disease several years ago. Burrow's incredible fighting effort had captured the nation as he and his battle transcended the sport in which he enjoyed so much success as a player.
This weekend's Challenge Cup final, featuring Wigan and Warrington, will include tributes to Burrow as the halfback is remembered. In the seventh minute of the game the crowd will break into 60 seconds of applause to honour the eight-time Super League winner.
Rowe said in a message on social media: "I'd like to talk to you about the Challenge Cup final this weekend. It is Wigan versus Warrington, but more specifically I want to talk about the passing of the little champion Rob Burrow. At the weekend, at Wembley, when the finals are taking place, in the seventh minute there will be a minute of celebration of Rob's life and contribution to this sport.
"Beautifully, it won't be a minutes silence it will be a minutes applause, which I think is fitting for the little champion. Personally I have some guilt to bear because I was supposed to do his podcast and it is one of those things I kept saying I'd get round to it and now I'll have to deal with the fact I messed that up.
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"Anyway, if you love rugby league and you love what that little champion did in every jersey he played in - go to Wembley and celebrate his life, his career and celebrate the rugby league community."
Tributes have poured in from inside and outside of the sporting world for Burrow. Among those to champion his cause more than any was Kevin Sinfield, who completed some incredible charity work to raise funds and awareness for the disease, which included a heartfelt moment where he lifted Burrow out of his chair and carried him over the line at the end of a marathon.
Rob Burrow's fight against MND has been hugely inspirational (Getty Images)After his passing the Leeds legend said: "I would always say that you were pound for pound the toughest player I ever played alongside, however since your diagnosis, you were the toughest and bravest man I have ever met.
"The last 4 and a half years you showed the world what living and loving looked like and this was always done with the biggest smile on your face. I will miss you my little mate."
Leeds Rhinos will use Burrow's fight against adversity as inspiration in Saturday's Women's Challenge Cup final when they take on St Helens. Their head coach Lois Forsell said: "We've a job to do, it's that fine line where we don't want to make it too emotional but we'll be thinking about everything that Rob was in terms of resilience and character.
"In the women's game where we get the opportunity to play at Wembley, Rob got told that he was too small to play rugby; women got told that there probably wouldn't be that chance to play at Wembley."
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