Sir Kevin Sinfield receives royal support as seventh 7 in 7 challenge reaches Wakefield
Sir Kevin Sinfield received a surprise royal welcome as he completed the third day of his gruelling 7 in 7 challenge in Wakefield.
The Leeds Rhinos legend was cheered across the finish line by the Prince and Princess of Wales at Trinity’s DIY Kitchens Stadium, where he completed his third ultramarathon in as many days.
Tuesday’s stage began at Bishopthorpe Palace in York before taking Sinfield through east Leeds and on to Castleford Tigers’ training ground.
He then completed the Extra Mile alongside people living with motor neurone disease (MND), before continuing through Wakefield to finish the day at Trinity’s stadium.
The Prince and Princess of Wales had earlier met families affected by MND at the stadium before taking their places at the finish line to support Kevin, who emotionally addressed the crowd saying: “...onto Wakefield – you know I’ve got a soft spot for it now.”
He went on to say: “The team is everything.
“I can’t do what I do without all of them.
“Prince William, Princess Katherine – you’ve been such big supporters of the work we’ve tried to do. You’ve been such big supporters of Rob, Lindsey and the full Burrow family.
“To have you here today is incredible and brings real credibility and awareness to the MND community. With that credibility, we can do even more.”
Earlier in the day, the royal couple had visited Leeds Rhinos’ stadium, where they praised a generation of players who looked up to Kevin’s former team-mate and close friend, Rob Burrow.
Sinfield’s seventh and final annual challenge will see him visit all 12 English Super League grounds before finishing at Old Trafford ahead of the Grand Final.
The challenge is raising awareness and funds for people living with MND and is being undertaken in memory of Burrow, who died from the disease in June 2024.
More than £600,000 has already been raised during this year’s challenge, with the money set to support MND charities and causes including the MND Association, the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation and Leeds Hospitals Charity.