Sir Kevin Sinfield receives knighthood for his services to the MND community as well as rugby league and union

Former England rugby captain Sir Kevin Sinfield has received his knighthood for his services to the motor neurone disease (MND) community.

Sinfield, who is now the skills and kicking coach for the men’s England rugby union side, also received it for his rugby playing and coaching feats across both codes.

The 46-year-old has raised more than £11million for charity for MND, which claimed the life of his former Leeds Rhinos team-mate and Rob Burrow who died in 2024 after living with it for four years.

Sinfield was one of 60 people to receive honours from the Prince of Wales at an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle on Wednesday.

He said he was ‘massively humbled by the whole experience’ and ‘very proud to accept it on behalf of the MND community and their families’.

Prince William, alongside the Princess of Wales, surprised Sinfield on the third day of his 7 in 7: The Grand Finale challenge last week, during which he completed seven ultra-marathons in seven days.

‘I think [Prince William] champions pulling communities together, and I have seen how the MND community have come together on the back of Rob’s diagnosis and several other high-profile sportspeople over the last six or seven years,’ Sinfield said.

‘So his support and, obviously, Princess Catherine’s as well, they’ve been wonderful and bring a real credibility to what we’re trying to do.’

Sir Kevin Sinfield: Rob Burrow would be ‘really proud’

Asked how Burrow would have felt to see him receiving a knighthood, 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.

‘I think he’d be really proud of it, the support, and the way people got behind what we tried to do, especially Prince William and Princess Catherine, and several other high-profile figures across the UK, and the world.

‘On behalf of all the MND families, Rob would just be delighted at how we’ve pulled together.’