Kevin Sinfield should have been given knighthood - nobody deserves it more

29 December 2023 , 22:30

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Kevin Sinfield should have been given knighthood - nobody deserves it more

To Leeds Rhinos fans, he will always be Sir Kev - but he should be Sir Kev to the world. And his beloved mate should be Sir Rob. Simple as that.

Name anyone who deserves this country’s highest honour more than the man who has generated more than £15million for Motor Neurone Disease charities out of love for his best mate and out of compassion for all those who suffer from this dreadful illness. You cannot.

Sportsmen and women have been made knights and dames for winning cricket matches, cycling quickly, running fast, playing football and being good at golf, amongst other things. Sinfield is, quite simply, the most tireless, most compassionate charity fund-raiser imaginable.

Oh, and a fantastic athlete and professional sportsman, for good measure. If you are interested, here is the unofficial criteria for a prospective knight or dame.

“Usually, the person nominated will have made a major contribution to the country at a national or international level; their work and achievements will be viewed as an inspiration to others; and they may have influenced their peers, industry or the nation through their sustained and outstanding commitment to their chosen area.”

Kevin Sinfield admits he owes new England role to best mate Rob Burrow

Kevin Sinfield and Rob Burrow tick every box.

After being made an OBE in 2021 - the year in which Burrow was awarded an MBE - there may be protocol reasons why these two remarkable human beings have not had their honours upgraded to the highest level. They are now CBEs, so the next step is surely a knighthood.

Kevin Sinfield's bond with Rob Burrow has captured the nation (Getty Images)

But any protocol should have been blown away by the soul-lifting deeds of Sinfield and Burrow. No wonder tens of thousands of people signed a petition calling for them to be Sir Kev and Sir Rob. Not that they crave recognition, of course. The truly selfless don’t.

And they were both extremely humble when responding to the news that King Charles would be making them Commanders of the British Empire. But for the way in which they have raised awareness of such a cruel disease, these men are giants.

And even after running seven ultra-marathons in as many different cities during one week in early December, Sinfield’s mission to fight MND will go on. We can all be sure of that. To the sport he graced, he will always be Sir Kev. It just would have been right and proper for His Majesty to make it official.

Andy Dunn