Rugby league legend and motor neurone disease campaigner Kevin Sinfield has been knighted by Prince William in recognition of his charity fundraising in honour of former teammate Rob Burrow.
Sir Kevin has completed seven running challenges inspired by former Leeds Rhinos star Burrow, who died in 2024 after living with motor neurone disease (MND) for four and a half years.
The gruelling ultramarathons run by Sir Kevin saw him cover over 27.9 miles per day, with the 45-year-old launching his first annual challenge six years ago in 2020.
Sir Kevin was awarded the honour by Prince William on Wednesday at Windsor Castle. He was accompanied by his wife, Jayne, who he first met on a night out in Oldham when he was just 20 years old.
The Prince of Wales, with his wife Catherine, previously made a surprise trip to visit the former rugby league star on the third day of his endurance challenge.
‘What you’re doing is so inspiring – the unity that you’re building,’ the Princess of Wales told Sir Kevin in Wakefield.
Sir Kevin was knighted by Prince William on Wednesday after raising more than £13million for motor neurone disease charities
The former rugby league star began his challenges six years ago following the diagnosis of his close friend, the late Rob Burrow
Sir Kevin with his wife, Jayne. The pair met on a night out in Oldman when Sir Kevin was 20
Since beginning his campaign, Sir Kevin has raised over £13million for MND charities, but following the end of The 7 in 7: The Grande Finale week, he confirmed that he would be changing his fundraising in a bid to give those who volunteer for him a break.
‘The team, it was right we made this seven because seven felt right,’ he said on BBC Breakfast earlier this week. ‘The commitment from the team has been unbelievable.
‘They’re all volunteers. They all put so much time and effort into it. There’s no events company or marketing company. It’s 16 of us.
‘I think I felt I needed to release, if that’s the right word, disconnect, uncouple… I can’t find the right term that has enough warmth for that group. Set them free… I’m not sure they want to be set free. We’ll see. But I will be going again.’
‘It has to look different and it has to feel different,’ Sir Kevin continued when prompted on what his next challenge might look like. ‘I made a commitment for life. I’m in this for life. There’ll come a point where I can’t run.
‘The team didn’t make this commitment. I’d like to go again. It has to look different. I’d like us to go Down Under. Since March this year, there’s been a bit of a plan of going after Australia and New Zealand and doing a 7 in 7 there.
‘Put the codes together – rugby league, rugby union, Aussie Rules. I’ve got a lot of friends over there who I think would be keen to support.
‘MND is big over there, too. I think if we can go after this globally and pull countries together, we have a chance of curing it sooner.’
Prince William and his wife Catherine met Sir Kevin in Wakefield midway through his run
The 46-year-old plans to complete more challenges but will change things up to give his volunteers a break
Sir Kevin previously ran the first Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon named for his friend with Burrow himself, pushing him around the circuit in 2023 in a specially adapted wheelchair.
Metres from the finish line, the duo sparked emotional scenes when Sir Kevin picked up Burrow to carry him across.
Burrow’s wife Lindsey was among those awestruck by Sir Kevin’s commitment to fundraising but told BBC Radio 4 that it was ‘bittersweet’ that her late husband could not also share pride in person at his friend’s achievements.
‘It’s bittersweet that Rob’s not here today to see Kevin finish his final challenge but Rob will be with us in spirit and it’s just testimony to Kevin that he’s so humbled to do this not just for Rob but for the whole MND community,’ she said. ‘It’s just incredible.
‘I am in complete awe of the efforts of Kevin and his team over the last seven days, and not just over the last seven days but over the last seven years,’ she added.
