Dahlias Named After Rob Burrow Bloom at Leeds MND Centre

New dahlia variety honours rugby league legend at Seacroft Hospital

A new variety of dahlia named in honour of the late rugby league player Rob Burrow CBE has been cultivated and planted in the garden of the Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease (MND) at Seacroft Hospital in Leeds.

The dahlias were grown by Robert Hendley, a retired professional dahlia grower from Barnsley, who has donated some of the flowers to Leeds Hospitals Charity. The centre is part of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and provides specialist care for patients with Motor Neurone Disease.

About the grower and the new dahlia

• Robert Hendley, aged 79, started working at his parents’ dahlia nursery in Doncaster at the age of eleven.
• He has bred and registered many new dahlia varieties with the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS).
• Over his career, Robert has exhibited dahlias at hundreds of major flower shows, winning around 200 Gold and Large Gold medals and numerous trophies.
• His passion includes raising funds for charities through naming new dahlia varieties, having raised over £8,000 to date.
• The new variety named after Rob Burrow features white petals with a subtle hint of pink.

Significance of the tribute

Rob Burrow, a celebrated rugby league player, was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease in 2019. The Rob Burrow Centre for MND at Seacroft Hospital was named in his honour to support patients affected by the condition.

The planting of these dahlias serves as a living tribute to Rob Burrow’s legacy and raises awareness of Motor Neurone Disease within the local community.

For more information, visit the Leeds Hospitals Charity website.