Kevin Sinfield

Kevin Sinfield had a successful career playing his entire career predominantly with Leeds, as a former English professional rugby player. Deemed one of the most successful players in Super League history, he has captured the attention of the public and press alike. Now acting as the Director of Rugby for the Leeds Rhinos, Kevin knows what it takes to take charge and maximise peak performance. Kevin began playing rugby at the Waterhead ARLFC, a club which has produced many other talented players such as Barrie McDermott and Lee Jewitt. After playing in the amateur league for a period of time Kevin signed for Leeds RLFC in 1997. Kevin's debut for the team came in the match they played against the Sheffield Eagles, and Kevin was only 16 years of age. By the end of 1999, Kevin had made an impressive 21 appearances for the team and scored two tries.

The 2000s brought Kevin the next big break in the world of rugby, he was selected to be a member of the England 2000 Rugby League World Cup squad. His most successful game in the cup was England's victory over Russia where he managed to score a hat-trick of tries, helping England to claim the 76-4 victory. After his performance in the world cup, he was selected to play in a number of other significant games for England. He played in the 2001 Kangaroo Tour, 2003 Challenge Cup final, 2003 Kangaroo Tour, 2004 Super League Grand Final and the 2005 World Club Challenge.

In 2005 Kevin notably played in the 2005 Challenge Cup, with such an impeccable performance that he was awarded the Lance Todd Trophy for Man of the Match. Kevin continued to play in a number of other significant games for his team, continually contributing to their victory. He was a powerful player who was able to maintain his peak performance time and time again. After retiring from rugby Kevin didn’t want to leave his passion behind, so he took on the role of the Director of Rugby at the RFL. His responsibilities lie with reviewing and developing a performance strategy for the England team, with the ultimate goal of helping them to reach the 2021 World Cup. In 2014, Kevin was awarded the honour of an MBE which was awarded during the 2014 Birthday Honours for his services to rugby and in 2021 he was awarded an OBE. Kevin was the first rugby league nominee for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award, unfortunately, he was narrowly beaten by Andy Murray and claimed second place. 

Since retiring from professional rugby, Kevin Sinfield has been deeply committed to raising funds and awareness for Motor Neurone Disease (MND), driven by his close friend Rob Burrow's diagnosis. Motivated to support Rob, Kevin completed seven ultra-marathons in seven days, raising £1.5 million for MND research. He also took part in the Leeds Marathon, pushing Rob's wheelchair for 26.2 miles before carrying him across the finish line. In 2024, Kevin was appointed CBE for Services to MND Awareness and he has also been awarded the Freedom of the City of Leeds. He launched an appeal for the Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease, raising over £5 million as of December 2023. Sadly, Rob Burrow passed away on June 2, 2024. Kevin paid an emotional tribute, stating "The world has lost a great man and a wonderful friend to so many. You fought so bravely until the end and became a beacon of hope and inspiration, not only for the MND community but for all those who saw and heard your story."

Now working as a popular rugby speaker, Kevin is able to provide a wide range of audiences with entertaining and inspiring after-dinner tales. He is the perfect addition to any corporate event, function or conference and is guaranteed to light up your next event.

In January 2024 we sat down with Kevin Sinfield and discussed highlights from his rugby career, his experiences of fundraising and how his friend's recent MND diagnosis has impacted his life. Watch our Exclusive Interview with Kevin Sinfield.