The Prince of Wales travelled to Headingley Stadium in Leeds to surprise Rob Burrow and Kevin Sinfield by presenting them with their CBEs.
The rugby league icons were made CBEs in the New Year Honours List for their services to motor neurone disease (MND).
The Prince of Wales congratulated the pair for their “phenomenal” efforts raising funds and awareness for MND as he handed them their awards at the stadium in Leeds.
Burrow played the sport internationally and won eight Super League titles before being diagnosed with MNS aged 37, and his former teammate Sinfield has raised more than £15m since the diagnosis in December 2019.
The image of Sinfield carrying Burrow across the finish line at the Leeds Marathon last year highlighted the closeness of their friendship.
Last month Sinfield completed seven marathons in seven cities in seven days.
The Prince of Wales met Burrow and Sinfield at the rugby stadium on Thursday and presented them with their CBEs in front of their wives and Burrows’s three children.
After talking to the two friends in the dressing room, the prince said: “I’ve brought a special couple of things up with me to give you today.
“I did check with Kevin to make sure you didn’t want to go down to London to receive this, but I brought your CBEs up here to give to you today if that’s okay, while you’re in your home, in Leeds, surrounded by your family and friends. I thought today was a good day.”
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The prince told Burrow: “The most amount of thank yous and congratulations for all the inspirational work you’ve done Rob, you’ve been amazing and everyone’s so proud of you.
“We’ve been following your case and all the money you’ve been raising, and you’re changing people’s lives with MND.”
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Presenting Sinfield with his CBE, the prince said: “A huge, huge congratulations. It’s been amazing what you’ve done. It really is.
“You’ve raised so much the profile of MND. Your brotherly bond and relationship between the two of you has been so amazing to watch – an inspiration to everyone to go, like ‘this is how we help each other’.
“The groundswell you’ve created in terms of fundraising and looking after each other and for MND is huge. Make sure you look after your knees, your hips, and everything else, but it’s been incredible.”
Burrow welcomed the prince to the venue with a message recorded on an eye gaze machine, saying: “I would like to welcome you to Headingley, the home of Leeds Rhinos, and thank you for coming today. It is an honour to meet you.”
After being described by the prince as an inspiration to the MND community, Burrow said: “I can honestly say that I never set out to be an inspiration, I just wanted to try and help other people in a similar situation to me.
“I’m just trying to live my best life with the cards that I’ve been dealt.”
