Rugby legend Kevin Sinfield knighted for sport and MND work

The now Sir Kevin has raised more than £11 million through endurance challenges, having been inspired by his friend and Leeds Rhinos team-mate Rob Burrow’s battle against the muscle wasting condition.

Kevin Sinfield crosses the finish line at York Minster in December 2023 (Image: PA/Danny Lawson)

His honour comes days after he announced his final ‘7 in 7’ challenge – in which he will try to complete an ultra-marathon every day for seven days – which will call at York in September.

It will be the third of Sir Kevin’s challenges to feature York, with hundreds of people turning out to greet the athlete after crossing finish lines at the Minster in November 2022 and December 2023.

Sir Kevin, 45, embarked on his first fundraising quest in 2020, running seven consecutive marathons with the initial intention of raising £777,777, inspired by Burrow’s famous shirt number.

His further gruelling challenges took the figure raised into eight figures, and contributed to the opening of the Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease in November 2025, just over a year after Burrow’s death aged 41.

Kevin Sinfield with his former teammate Rob Burrow who died in 2024 aged 41 (Image: Danny Lawson/PA Wire)

Sir Kevin praised the MND community after he was knighted and vowed to use his status as rugby league’s second ever knight to step up his inspirational battle to aid further research into MND.

“My playing career was everything I could ever have dreamed of as a young man but the last seven years have given me so much inspiration,” he said.

“The MND community are the very best of us and it has been my privilege to support them and put their battle on the stage it needs.”

Recommended reading:

Sir Kevin showed his support for the family of Paul Bradley, 35, of Holgate, whose death from the disease in March left his loved ones with no income but a mortgage and bills to pay after he died.

The athlete wrote to Paul’s widow, Emma, saying the family had his “full support whenever you need it”, and that he would send them “something meaningful” to auction off to contribute to a fundraiser for them.

Paul and Emma Bradley. A fundraiser has been launched to raise money for Paul’s family after his death aged 35 from motor neurone disease (Image: Supplied)

Lindsey Burrow, widow of Rob, welcomed Sir Kevin being knighted.

“On behalf of the whole Burrow family, I would like to congratulate Kevin on his knighthood, we are all delighted for him and I can not think of a more deserving recipient,” she said.

“Kevin did so much for Rob but also the whole MND community with raising awareness and funds to support families and aid research.

“I know he has said he is dedicated to supporting the MND community for however long it takes to find a cure and that means so much to so many people to have a champion like Kevin in their corner.

“As Rob used to say, everyone should have a friend like Kevin and so many people will be pleased to see him get this recognition.”

Calls for Sir Kevin to be knighted in recognition of his fundraising exploits had grown in recent years. He was made an MBE in 2014 for services to rugby league, an OBE in June 2021 and a CBE in the 2024 New Year honours.