Rugby league legend Kevin Sinfield is set to be knighted in the King's Birthday Honours list, a recognition of his extraordinary fundraising efforts for motor neurone disease (MND). The Mirror has confirmed that the former Leeds Rhinos star will soon become Sir Kevin for his services to raising awareness and funds for MND research.
Fundraising Journey
The 45-year-old began his fundraising campaign after his friend and teammate Rob Burrow was diagnosed with MND in 2019. To date, Sinfield has raised more than £11 million for MND charities. Earlier this week, Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle described him as "a rugby league legend who should be Sir Kevin Sinfield," according to the Mirror.
The former Leeds and England rugby league player moved the nation with his friendship with Burrow. In a poignant moment at the Leeds Marathon in 2023, Sinfield carried Burrow over the finish line after pushing him around the course in a specially adapted wheelchair.
Previous Honours and Tributes
Both Sinfield and Burrow were made CBEs in the 2023 New Year Honours List. Prince William surprised them with their awards at Headingley Stadium, the home of Leeds Rhinos where they both played. Tragically, Burrow died five months later at age 41, after living with MND for four and a half years.
MND is a life-shortening neurological condition that affects the nerves transmitting messages from the brain to the muscles. There is currently no cure, and treatment focuses on managing symptoms. Burrow was not the only rugby player diagnosed with MND; former Scotland international Doddie Weir died in 2022 at age 52, six years after his diagnosis. Last year, ex-England captain Lewis Moody also revealed he had been diagnosed with the condition.
Continued Efforts
Sinfield, now an England rugby union coach, has continued to raise millions in memory of his best friend through a series of gruelling endurance challenges. Last year, the Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease at Seacroft Hospital opened in Leeds, the first purpose-built facility for MND patients and research.
Joined by Sinfield and Burrow's widow Lindsey, Prince William told Burrow's children—Macy, Maya, and Jackson—that they should be "so proud of your father because he really was an incredibly brave and very special man." He added: "This is a world-leading centre that's going to save a lot of lives."
Final Challenge
Sinfield recently announced his seventh and final challenge, "7 in 7: The Grand Finale," which will see him run an ultramarathon a day for seven days, from Hull to Manchester, visiting all 12 English Super League grounds. Speaking to BBC Breakfast, he said: "Our team have done a wonderful job. I couldn't have done any of it without them, they are so unselfish in the way they've gone about this. We couldn't have done this on our own. The money has gone a long way and we're getting closer and closer, but we've got to keep pushing, we've got to try and find a cure."
The King's Birthday Honours List will be published this evening. The Government does not comment on honours before they are announced.
