Kevin Sinfield became emotional in a new BBC documentary, saying he "needed to release" the people who supported him during his 7 in 7 Challenge to raise awareness and funds for the Motor Neurone Disease (MND) community. The documentary, titled Thank You Sir Kev, aired on Monday and features tributes from those close to him.
Fundraising journey since Rob Burrow's diagnosis
Sinfield, 46, began fundraising for MND in 2020 after his Leeds Rhinos team-mate and best friend Rob Burrow was diagnosed with the condition. Burrow passed away in 2024 at the age of 41. Since then, Sinfield has raised more than £13 million through a series of ultramarathon challenges, covering over 2,000km.
The documentary includes tributes from former England rugby star Lewis Moody, ex-Premier League footballer Marcus Stewart, Lindsey Burrow, and the Prince of Wales. It also features his parents, Ray and Beryl, who share memories of his childhood and early introduction to sport.
Emotional moment after final challenge
Sinfield became tearful when discussing the end of his challenges, which recently concluded with seven ultramarathons over seven consecutive days at the Super League Grand Final at Old Trafford. He paid tribute to his support team, who were with him every step.
He said: "I needed to release them from me. I'm in it for life and I made that commitment. But they don't have to be. They all knew Rob and love Rob, but bought into something to support me and I..." At this point, Sinfield paused to compose himself before adding: "It's been a big commitment for them all. I feel like I need to release them from it. Go, get on with your lives. Been apart of something that's been incredible, that has hopefully made a difference. But if you want to carry on, I'll still be here."
Prince William's tribute and lasting impact
Prince William, who has got to know Sinfield through his fundraising, said: "That lack of ego is really important in a world where everyone wants to show how amazing they are. I think Kevin does it very quietly and just doesn't want to be the centre of attention, but ultimately has a huge impact." He added: "I'm very pleased personally that he's got this accolade. Never has it been more deserving nor thoroughly appreciated buy a large community who now what Kevin is like and what he can do. The more Kevs we have in this country the better."
Through Sinfield's fundraising, a bespoke MND centre has been established in Leeds. Gill Sirmaloglou, who calls herself one of the first patients at the centre, said: "What you've done defies words. It will change a lot of peoples' lives for the better." Doctor Jung, who was Burrow's consultant, added: "When I used to speak to people about MND, they would not know what it was. And now, everybody does. And that has only happened because Rob has gone public with it and Kevin has continued with it, every step, every day he is uniting the country really. It's not just uniting the MND community, he's united the country."
Macy, Burrow's eldest daughter, said on the documentary: "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."
