Prince William has said fundraising hero Sir Kevin Sinfield should have been knighted years ago, echoing a long-running campaign by the Daily Star. The future King hailed the rugby league legend as a "machine" after his efforts to raise millions for the fight against motor neurone disease.
William, 44, admitted he feared the 46-year-old's knees and hips might finally give out under the strain of his punishing charity challenges. He said: "I think, frankly, he should have been Sir Kevin years ago. I don't know how he keeps going, I'm worried about his knees, I'm worried about his hips. The guy is just a machine."
William praises Sinfield's character
William added: "He's a top bloke, really nice guy, good, honest, kind, decent northerner and I love that about Kevin, that there is no ego with him. He is what you get." He also reportedly said the decision to bestow a knighthood on Sinfield "was probably the easiest decision anyone had to make."
The Daily Star had campaigned for years for Kevin to be honoured for his charity work, with thousands of Britons signing a petition backing the call.
Knighthood at Windsor Castle
Sir Kevin finally received his knighthood from William at Windsor Castle earlier this month, after years of fundraising for MND sufferers. The former Leeds Rhinos skipper has raised more than £13 million over seven years, inspired by former teammate Rob Burrow, who died aged 41 in 2024 after battling the disease for four-and-a-half years.
Humble Sir Kevin insisted his honour belonged to the entire MND community and said his late friend Rob would be "laughing" to see him get a knighthood. He added that Rob would have been "enormously proud".
Fundraising legacy
Sir Kevin, who started fundraising when Rob was diagnosed with MND in 2019, said he was "proud to accept it on behalf of the MND community and their families". Asked how Rob would have felt, he said: "I think he'd be laughing. I think he'd be enormously proud of the support behind a campaign that he started, and we continue in his name."
