Member Article

North East underwear brand teams up with rugby league legend Rob Burrow to support motor neurone disease charity

North East underwear business OddBalls has teamed up with rugby league legend Rob Burrow to launch a new range of products that will raise funds for a motor neurone disease charity. The new underwear designs launched 48 hours before Rob’s appearance as guest of honour for the opening of the Rugby League World Cup in Newcastle. The OddBalls Rob Burrow MND Association collection is in the distinctive colours of Leeds Rhinos and the special design features Rob’s signature and the shirt number ‘7’ that he wore during his trophy-laden 16-year professional career at the club, and £1 from the sale of every product will be donated to the Motor Neurone Disease Association.

Rob Burrow is one of the most successful players in rugby league history. Making over 400 appearances for Leeds Rhinos between 2001 and 2017, he won eight Super League titles and two Challenge Cups, and also played for both England and Great Britain. In 2019, Rob was diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND). He has since campaigned to improve awareness of the disease, and raise money for research into treatment, and is a patron of the MND Association. In December 2020, Rob was appointed MBE for services to rugby league and the MND community.

Founded in 2014 as part of an initiative to raise awareness about testicular cancer, North Shields based OddBalls has quickly become one of the UK’s biggest underwear brands and has expanded its charitable objectives during that time. With its growing range of products and sporting partnerships, OddBalls has raised over £650,000 for charities through the sale of its products, and aims to have topped the £1m mark by 2023. The OddBalls Rob Burrow MND Association range includes men’s boxer shorts, and women’s briefs and a bra, with designs approved by Rob and his wife Lindsey. The money raised through sales of the range will contribute to the MND Association’s work in funding research, in improving care and support for people with MND and their loved ones, and campaigning.

Rob Burrow MBE comments: “I’m delighted that Oddballs has created a range in my honour and I’m grateful as the charity’s patron that they’ve chosen to support the MND Association. Please join #TeamMND by checking out the range and making a purchase – the money raised will help the MND Association support people living with the disease as well as their families, and also go towards vital research into treatments and a cure for motor neurone disease.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Chris Lines .