Rugby league great and motor neurone disease campaigner Kevin Sinfield has received a knighthood from Prince William, recognising his extraordinary fundraising efforts carried out in memory of his former teammate Rob Burrow.
Now Sir Kevin, he has completed seven demanding running challenges inspired by Burrow, the former Leeds Rhinos star who died in 2024 after living with motor neurone disease for four and a half years.
Across the gruelling ultramarathons, Sir Kevin covered more than 27.9 miles each day. The 45-year-old began the annual fundraising series in 2020, six years ago.
The honour was presented by Prince William at Windsor Castle on Wednesday. Sir Kevin was joined by his wife, Jayne, whom he first met during a night out in Oldham when he was 20.
The Prince of Wales and his wife, Catherine, have previously shown their support in person, making an unexpected visit to Sir Kevin in Wakefield on the third day of one of his endurance challenges.
“What you’re doing is so inspiring – the unity that you’re building,” the Princess of Wales told him during the visit.
Sir Kevin received his knighthood from Prince William after raising more than £13 million for motor neurone disease charities
The former rugby league star launched his fundraising challenges six years ago after close friend Rob Burrow was diagnosed with motor neurone disease
Sir Kevin pictured with his wife, Jayne, whom he met during a night out in Oldham when he was 20
Since launching the campaign, Sir Kevin has generated more than £13 million for MND charities. However, after completing The 7 in 7: The Grande Finale week, he said he planned to reshape his fundraising work to give the volunteers behind it some time to recover.
Speaking on BBC Breakfast earlier this week, he said the team had agreed that seven challenges was the right number, adding: “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.”
Sir Kevin stressed that any future effort would need to have a different identity and format. “I made a commitment for life. I’m in this for life. There’ll come a point where I can’t run,” he said.
“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.”
He also hopes to bring together several sporting communities, saying: “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.”
With MND also affecting people across Australia and New Zealand, Sir Kevin believes an international campaign could help accelerate research. “I think if we can go after this globally and pull countries together, we have a chance of curing it sooner,” he said.
Prince William and Catherine visited Sir Kevin in Wakefield during one of his endurance runs
The 46-year-old intends to continue fundraising, but says future challenges will be redesigned to give his volunteer team a break
In 2023, Sir Kevin also took part in the inaugural Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon, named in honour of his friend, pushing Burrow around the course 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.
