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 ex-team-mate Rob Burrow.
Sinfield has completed seven running challenges inspired by former Leeds Rhinos star Burrow, who died in 2024 after living with MND for four and a half years.
The grueling ultramarathons ran by Sinfield saw him cover over 27.9 miles per day, with the 45-year-old launching his first annual challenge six years ago in 2020.
Sinfield was awarded the honour by Prince William on Wednesday at Windsor Castle.
The Prince of Wales previously made a surprise trip to visit the former rugby league star on the third day of his endurance challenge with his wife Catherine.
‘What you’re doing is so inspiring – the unity that you’re building,’ the Princess of Wales told Sinfield in Wakefield.
Sir Kevin Sinfield was knighted by Prince William on Wednesday after raising more than £13m 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
Since beginning his campaign, Sinfield 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.’
Sinfield 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 Sinfield picked up Burrow to carry him across.
