BBC viewers were moved to tears during the documentary Thank You Sir Kev, which aired on Monday night and focused on Sir Kevin Sinfield's charity fundraising efforts in memory of his friend and former Leeds Rhinos team-mate Rob Burrow.
Sinfield, aged 46, began charity work for motor neurone disease (MND) in 2020 after Burrow was diagnosed with the condition. Burrow died in 2024 at the age of 41. Since then, Sinfield has raised more than £13 million through a series of ultramarathon challenges, becoming one of the UK's most prominent fundraisers.
Tributes from family and sporting figures
The documentary included tributes from former England rugby international Lewis Moody, ex-Premier League footballer Marcus Stewart, Burrow's wife Lindsey, and the Prince of Wales. Burrow's daughter Macy also spoke to the BBC, with viewers expressing admiration for Sinfield's dedication to his friend.
One viewer wrote on social media: "Two minutes into #thankyouSirKev and ive gone already..." Another said: "Kevin Sinfield totally deserves to be knighted." A third added: "Deary me. Thank You Sir Kev on BBC1 now. I can't bleive there's a netter bloke on the entire planet than Kevin Sinfield. He is extraordindary."
Support for the Burrow family
Sinfield's support extended beyond Burrow himself to his family. Burrow's mother Irene said: "We've known Kev for a long, long time. Sir Kev, as we've called him, we've called him that for many, many years. When Rob was diagnosed, we thought our world had come to an end. We were all devastated and Kev just putting his arm around him, letting him know he was there for him. That is what Kevin Sinfield is."
Lindsey Burrow described Sinfield's support as invaluable, saying: "Rob was incredibly proud to have Kevin as his captain, as his team-mate. He's just been there since day one. He stood shoulder to shoulder with Rob with his battle with MND."
Rob's voice message
A poignant moment in the documentary was a voice message from Burrow, which said: "Once in your life you come across a special human being. My friend Kevin Sinfield, you are one of a kind, mate. Everyone needs a friend like Kev."
Funds raised by Sinfield's challenges have helped establish a dedicated MND centre in Leeds. Macy said of the centre: "I just think the centre is incredible. It's exactly what my dad and doctor Jung imagined it to be and it just gives that little bit of extra hope to families. Thanks to Kev and everyone who has fundraised, people can now come as it's a safe space. It's really nice to see and I'm sure my dad would definitely be smiling."
