Luke Littler to wear patch in support of rugby legend Rob Burrow with teenager banned from copying Premier League rivals

LUKE LITTLER will wear a Motor Neurone Disease Association patch throughout the Premier League in recognition of Rob Burrow’s troubles.

The 17-year-old oche superstar is a massive rugby league fan and follows Warrington Wolves, his hometown club.

PA

Luke Littler will raise awareness for Motor Neurone Disease[/caption]

Alamy

His gesture is in support of ex-rugby star Rob Burrow (left)[/caption]

Because of his age, Littler is not allowed to wear a bookmaker’s patch on his purple darts shirt – like the other seven players will on the four-month Premier League roadshow.

The Prem, which has run annually since 2005, is sponsored this year by BetMGM but special dispensation comes into play for the teenager.

World youth champion Littler was offered the chance instead to wear a charity logo throughout the event, which starts in Cardiff tonight and takes in seven different countries until the playoffs in London on Thursday May 23.

And his decision was to include reference to the MND Association out of respect of Burrow, the former Leeds Rhinos and Great Britain scrum-half.

The 41-year-old was diagnosed with the condition in December 2019, two years after ending his playing career.

Asked about the patch, Littler said: “It’s for Rob Burrow, the former Leeds rugby league player.

“I haven’t met him. I know what he’s going through for the past many years.

“I have seen clips of how good he was. It was my choice of charity.”

Burrow’s pal and former team-mate Kevin Sinfield has gallantly raised £10million for the charity through a series of fundraising challenges.

Former rugby union players Doddie Weir, who died in November 2022, and ex-Bradford City footballer Stephen Darby are other sportsmen who have led public fundraising campaigns since being diagnosed with MND.

Littler – named as the PDC’s Young Player of the Year on Wednesday – is set to meet Burrow at some point in the coming weeks or months.

He added: “Being a rugby league fan I’ve seen the amazing fundraising work done for the Motor Neurone Disease Association, particularly by Rob Burrow and Kevin Sinfield in recent years.

“The MNDA are doing so much important work and when I found out that I had a space available to support a charity on my shirt I wanted to back them.

“I can’t wait for the Premier League season to start and I’m excited for the weeks ahead.”

This month the Premier League will take in trips to Cardiff (February 1), Berlin (February 8), Glasgow (February 15), Newcastle (February 22) and Exeter (February 29).

For more details about the Motor Neurone Disease Association, please visit www.mndassociation.org.