Rugby legend Sinfield makes lifelong pledge to help fight deadly disease

Leeds Rhinos legend Kevin Sinfield has made a lifelong pledge to fight motor neurone disease (MND), the illness which killed his friend and former teammate Rob Burrow.

- by Peter Smith

Sinfield has raised more than £10m for MND causes in memory of Burrow, who was diagnosed in 2019 and died in June last year. His latest feat - '7 in 7: Together' - starts next Monday in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, and will be his sixth and penultimate challenge.

He will run an ultra-marathon each day in different parts of Great Britain and Ireland, with each leg split into seven-kilometre blocks, to be completed inside an hour. The challenge culminates at Rhinos' AMT Stadium on Sunday December 7, when it will include the first Leeds Santa Dash, a three kilometre fun run which is open to the public.

Previous challenges have raised more than £10m for MND causes. Another will take place in 2026, but Sinfield stressed his plan has always been to stop at seven - which was the number worn by Burrow during his glittering playing career.