Sir Kevin Sinfield has thanked the Prince and Princess of Wales after they surprised him on the third day of his 7 in 7 endurance challenge, which raises money for motor neurone disease (MND) charities.
The royal couple met Sir Kevin at the DIY Kitchens Stadium in Wakefield, where he had just completed his final laps. An emotional Sir Kevin hugged his wife before greeting them. The Princess of Wales told him: "Well done you... what you are doing is so inspiring."
Royal surprise in Wakefield
Sir Kevin, who had no idea the royal couple were coming to meet him, chatted to them about how his final 7 in 7 fundraising challenge is going. In a speech thanking everyone for their support, a tearful Sir Kevin said: "Prince William and Princess Catherine have been such big supporters of what we have tried to do, such big supporters of Rob."
He added: "To have you here today is incredible and brings real credibility and awareness to the MND community."
Second day of royal support
It marked the second day in a row that the athlete has been cheered on by royalty, after the Princess Royal visited him in York on Monday. Sir Kevin is completing an ultramarathon every day for seven days.
This is Sir Kevin's seventh and final charity run, having already raised more than £11 million for the MND community since his first annual challenge in 2020. He began fundraising after his friend and former Leeds Rhinos team-mate Rob Burrow was diagnosed with the disease. Mr Burrow, whose shirt number was seven, died from MND in 2024.
Burrow's legacy remembered
Earlier on Tuesday, the prince and princess heard about Mr Burrow's legacy as they visited his former rugby club. They met former players from the "golden generation" at AMT Headingley, who shared memories of the scrum-half turned MND campaigner.
The heir to the throne previously visited the stadium in January 2024 to surprise Mr Burrow and Mr Sinfield with the CBEs they were awarded for their fundraising efforts. The following year, William kept a promise to Mr Burrow and officially opened the Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease.
During the visit, the prince and princess learned about the multiple mental and physical health initiatives offered by the foundation, including school PE partnerships and disability rugby sessions. They watched a women's u19 training session and met players selected for the upcoming rugby league world cup.
Speaking to pupils, William asked how well they knew "local heroes" Burrow and Sinfield, who is midway through his latest endurance challenge. "You know Kevin's doing his big run today as well? We're going to surprise him in a bit," he said.
Catherine added: "He's super fit. He's doing seven ultramarathons in seven days, that's a lot of running." Reflecting on the toll of running 27.9 miles (45km) a day for a week, the prince said: "If he can walk by the end of it, it's going to be amazing. His poor knees."
At the end of the visit, the couple were given a giftbag for their children, including a ball and toy rhinos.
