The 2023 New Year’s Honours List included the likes of Gavin Williamson, a man who had to resign his government position to attempt to clear his name of bullying claims, and Frank Skinner and Rachel Riley, both of whom have questionable reputations within the court of public opinion. And yet still there was no suitable recognition for Kevin Sinfield.
The former Leeds Rhinos captain received an OBE in 2014 for his services to rugby league, but his efforts over the last three years in raising more than £7 million for motor neurone disease-related charities has still not convinced the selection panels to award him the knighthood he truly deserves. He is known as ‘Sir Kev’ within the world of rugby league, thanks in part to his seven Betfred Super League wins as a player, but nobody will give any credence to the official honours system until Sinfield gets his rightful title.
Where it matters, though, Sinfield is getting all the recognition that is owed to him, and on Wednesday he and his best mate Rob Burrow were awarded the Honorary Freedom of the city of Leeds. The pair of them arguably deserved it for their sporting careers alone, but their magnificent response to Burrow’s MND diagnosis in December 2019 has had the watching world in thrall.
Sinfield ran seven marathons in seven days in December 2020, then ran 101 miles in under 24 hours from Leicester to Leeds the following October, raising over £2m. And in November the former loose-forward ran seven ultramarathons in a week, finishing at Old Trafford in time to be greeted by fans at half-time of the Rugby League World Cup final. That challenge took him beyond the £7m mark in proceeds for MND research projects.
Congratulations to MND Association patrons, @Rob7Burrow MBE and Kevin Sinfield OBE, who were granted Freedom of Leeds at a special ceremony last night.
[📸 @leedsrhinos] #MND
Burrow, meanwhile, has also provided inspiration despite being bound to a wheelchair and having to speak through a synthetic voice machine. He has continued to make the fight against MND a very public one, helping to set up a Leeds-based research centre in his name, lending support to countless other families affected by MND, and even agreeing to read a CBeebies Bedtime Story on TV using special technology.
So Wednesday’s Freedom award comes as great reward for the efforts of two true heroes of the city of Leeds both on and off the field.
“I’m speechless to represent this city, the best city in the world,” Pontefract-born Rob said of his adopted home. “Of course, I am an outside from the dark side of the river but it feels like home.
“I’ve represented the best city, and I can’t see how to get more from Leeds than to receive this honour…
“To Kevin, who has gone above and beyond for his mate, I accept this on behalf of the city of Leeds, the place where my dreams came true.”
The wider world might still only be paying a passing interest in the phenomenal work of Rob Burrow and Kevin Sinfield, but in the rugby league heartlands they continue to be acknowledged as the very best ambassadors for sport and for humanity.
