Kevin Sinfield

Kevin Sinfield is a former rugby league captain turned England rugby union defence coach, renowned for his leadership in elite sport and his exceptional commitment to motor neurone disease awareness. He captained Leeds Rhinos to seven Super League titles and later contributed to Leicester Tigers' 2022 Premiership win before transitioning to international coaching. Inspired by his close friend and former teammate Rob Burrow, Kevin has raised over £11 million through a series of gruelling ultramarathon challenges, efforts that earned him an OBE in 2021 and a knighthood in 2026. His sessions equip leaders and teams with practical strategies for building resilience, sustaining high performance under pressure, and leading with purpose and integrity.

Over the past seven years, Kevin Sinfield has completed six ultramarathon challenges in support of motor neurone disease research and awareness, raising more than £11 million and earning a knighthood in the 2026 King's Birthday Honours. Inspired by his former Leeds Rhinos teammate and close friend Rob Burrow, who lived with MND for four and a half years before his death in 2024, Kevin has undertaken extraordinary feats of endurance that have captured public attention across the United Kingdom. His final challenge, planned for September 2026, will see him run an ultramarathon each day for seven days, visiting all 12 English Super League grounds between Hull and Manchester before finishing at Old Trafford ahead of the Super League Grand Final. The dedication behind these efforts reflects the same leadership qualities that defined his distinguished sporting career, now channelled towards a cause that has touched millions.

Before becoming synonymous with charitable endurance, Kevin captained Leeds Rhinos through 18 years as a professional rugby league player, securing seven Super League titles, two Challenge Cups, and three World Club Challenge appearances. He retired as one of the highest points scorers in Super League history, recognised for his strategic thinking, consistency under pressure, and ability to unite teams around shared objectives. Following his retirement in 2016, he transitioned successfully into coaching and high-performance management, contributing to Leicester Tigers' Premiership title win in 2022 as Director of Rugby before joining the England Rugby Union national team as Defence Coach. His move across sporting codes demonstrates an adaptability and depth of understanding that extends beyond individual disciplines. The Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease, which opened in Leeds in 2024 as the first purpose-built facility of its kind, stands as a lasting outcome of the funds raised through Kevin's challenges, combining patient care with vital research capacity.

Kevin's speaking sessions draw on both his elite sporting experience and his work within the charitable sector to address leadership under pressure, building resilient teams, and values-driven action. He offers audiences practical strategies for sustaining high performance, maintaining focus during adversity, and leading with integrity in complex environments. His approach is calm, considered, and rooted in lived experience rather than theory. Organisations benefit from insights that translate across sectors, whether addressing corporate leadership, team culture, wellbeing initiatives, or social responsibility. Kevin helps audiences understand how discipline, empathy, and collective purpose combine to create meaningful impact, equipping them with frameworks they can apply immediately within their own teams and challenges.