Sport has the power to divide us like few other things on this planet, and nothing encapsulates this better than the nearly 130-year rivalry between rugby union and rugby league. However, there are moments when sport can unite us against a common cause, and this was vividly demonstrated on a wet and gray Sunday afternoon, bringing the two codes together in a way never seen before.
Since the split in 1895, when league separated from union, the two sports have rarely felt so united. The tragic diagnoses of Doddie Weir and Rob Burrow with motor neurone disease in recent years sparked a joint effort among both sports to find a cure, an effort that intensified when Ed Slater was diagnosed in 2022. Burrow sadly passed away in June, but one of his final acts was to conceive this game with Slater, a hybrid match known as the 745 Game—named after the numbers Burrow, Slater, and Weir wore in their careers—merging the rules of both codes in a unique way.
For league enthusiasts, it was 13-a-side with play-the-balls instead of rucks. For union fans, there was the scoring system of five points for a try, and lineouts were held when the ball went into touch. This game wasn't about settling the great split of August 29, 1895; it was about something far more significant than sport and outcomes on the field.
Before the game even started in Leeds, Burrow's passing at the age of 41 deeply affected the city, highlighting the profound impact he had on the sport he loved. Despite the miserable weather, over 10,000 spectators supported the inaugural edition of a game that organizers hope will become an annual event to continue the fight against MND. Legends from both codes, including Danny Cipriani, Billy Twelvetrees, and Danny McGuire, played for teams named after Burrow and Slater.
The human aspect of why this game was played was emphasized before kick-off. Slater's daughters, Edie and Flo, led out the union team, while Burrow's daughters, Macy and Maya, walked out with the league legends. Jackson Burrow and Frank Slater, the sons of the two heroes, delivered the ball. The gravity of their situation at such a young age made this occasion feel incredibly important.
“How often do we all gather in one place without rivalry or division?” Cipriani remarked. “We're all here for one cause, and it's great to do this. The love we all have for Ed, Rob, and Doddie is incredible.” Barrie McDermott, one of Burrow's closest friends and a Leeds icon, agreed. “There's no animosity, no tribalism,” he said. “We're here to support rugby.”
The game itself was light-hearted, with Burrow's team winning 33-21. The loudest cheer came when the union side opted for a rolling maul in the second half, drawing boos from the league crowd. McDermott was humorously sent off in the closing stages for a mock brawl with Hamish Weir, Doddie Weir's son, which elicited laughter from the audience. But the most important outcome was the tens of thousands of pounds raised to support those living with MND.
The two rugby codes may never fully unite again, but if they can come together each year on this day to continue the work started by Weir, Burrow, and Slater, that would mean far more than any game's result.
Source link: https://www.theguardian.com
