YORK Knights new recruit Paul McShane and former centre Jimmy Keinhorst were among those to take to the field in the inaugural 745 rugby match at Headingley on Sunday.
McShane started at hooker whilst Keinhorst, who hung up his boots in August, came off the bench to play his part as the league side came back to win 33-21 in front of a crowd of over 10,000 spectators.
Combining a hybrid of rugby league and rugby union, the match was the brainchild of former Leicester and Gloucester rugby union player Ed Slater and Leeds Rhinos icon Rob Burrow, who passed away from motor neurone disease in June aged just 41.
Rules included uncontested line-outs and five points per try alongside league elements such as play-the-balls and 13-a-side teams. Tackles were also limited once players passed halfway.
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The distinctive name for the match comes from the shirt numbers of Burrow (seven), Slater (four), and Scotland legend Doddie Weir (five) who have all been diagnosed with MND.
All funds raised will be split three ways directly supporting the MND community and will be used for research into treatments and cures to providing support to smaller MND charities and families living with the disease.
Burrow’s daughters Macy and Maya and Slater’s daughters Edie and Flo led out the two teams, with Jackson Burrow and Frank Slater handing the match ball to referee Ben Thaler.
Jimmy Keinhorst in action for ‘Team Burrow’ against ‘Team Slater”s Billy Twelvetrees. (Image: PA) Those taking to the field for the league side included Rhinos legend Danny McGuire – who won eight Betfred Super League Grand Finals with Burrow – Keith Senior and late call-up Barrie McDermott, who was comically sent off in the final minutes after a ‘fight’ with Hamish, son of the late Doddie Weir.
Their union counterparts included Danny Cipriani, Billy Twelvetrees and Matt Banahan.
Played in good spirit, it took a late comeback from Burrow’s league legends to seal victory, with both McGuire and Waine Pryce scoring twice and McShane also crossing the whitewash. Luke Gale kicked two conversions and McGuire and Danny Brough both one apiece.
Tom Johnston, Banahan and Twelvetrees scored for the union side, for whom Matt Cornwell kicked two conversion and Geordan Murphy one.
