The Prince of Wales has praised Sir Kevin Sinfield for his “quiet leadership” and described him as “gold dust,” saying his knighthood was “probably the easiest decision that anyone's ever had to make.”
In an interview for the new BBC Breakfast documentary Thank You Sir Kev, Prince William spoke with host Sally Nugent about the former Rugby League player who has raised millions for motor neurone disease (MND) charities in support of his teammate Rob Burrow, who died in 2024.
William on Sinfield's leadership style
Prince William said of Sir Kevin: “I think he leads from the heart which he doesn’t need to be the loudest in the room shouting about it, it’s very quiet leadership, but it’s very deep leadership, it’s really meaningful, it’s not about him, it’s about the cause and what he’s there to support.”
He added: “I think he’s got a way of turning his words into actions which I think is really important, and I think he’s built of quiet steel that is also vulnerable but also normal and he’s not afraid to show all that and I think that’s really important rather than showing this sort of tough guy exterior that we know maybe is not as deep as it could go.”
The Prince also described Sir Kevin as “a machine” and “a top bloke, really nice guy, good, honest kind of decent northerner,” adding, “You couldn’t find a better bloke to lead a campaign around MND that his friend Rob has had to live with for so many years.”
Bringing communities together
When asked what people can learn from Sir Kevin, Prince William said: “It really is deep caring… that lack of ego is really important in a world that everyone wants to show how amazing they all are, I think Kevin does it very quietly, very subtly and just doesn’t want to be the centre of attention but ultimately has a huge impact.”
He continued: “What I see the most is his ability to bring people together and be that glue, I liken it to the fabric of communities… What Kevin does is he can bind and glue communities together by being that leader so he takes lot of responsibility on him he takes other people’s worries, concerns, anxieties and he owns it, that’s a weight for him, but he would be the last person to tell you that’s a problem.”
Prince William first learned about Sir Kevin when his fundraising story with Rob Burrow made headlines and was regularly featured on BBC Breakfast. The documentary also covers Sir Kevin's ultramarathon exploits, childhood, and career with Leeds and England, before he raised £13 million for MND causes.
Knighthood reaction
Of the knighthood, Prince William said: “Probably the easiest decision that anyone’s ever had to make, I think frankly he should have been Sir Kevin years ago, so I’m very pleased personally that he’s got this accolade. Never has it been more deserving or thoroughly appreciated by a large community who know what Kevin is like and what he can do.”
The interview between Sally Nugent and Prince William took place at Windsor at the end of September. An extended version of the interview aired on BBC Breakfast this morning, and Thank You Sir Kev is available on BBC iPlayer from 6am today and on BBC One at 8pm tonight.
