William and Catherine visit Sinfield’s MND fundraising challenge

The Prince and Princess of Wales made a surprise visit to support Sir Kevin Sinfield during his endurance challenge to raise funds for motor neurone disease charities. William and Catherine met Sinfield in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, on the third day of his attempt to complete seven ultra-marathons in seven days. Catherine told him that his work was inspiring and praised the unity it had created.

Sinfield’s challenge is scheduled to end on Saturday at Old Trafford in Manchester, ahead of the Super League Grand Final. It is described as his final fundraising challenge and was inspired by his former Leeds Rhinos teammate Rob Burrow, who died from MND in 2024. Since beginning his fundraising efforts in 2020, Sinfield has raised more than £11 million for MND causes.

The royal couple also made a private donation to the current appeal. Before meeting Sinfield, William and Catherine spoke with families affected by MND and heard about the assistance provided through fundraising projects. They also visited the Leeds Rhinos ground, where they met young players and learned about the club’s charitable foundation.

The foundation works on health, education and wellbeing projects in the Leeds area. Jamie Jones-Buchanan, a former teammate of Burrow, told the visitors that the team had remained united through success and adversity. William had previously presented Sinfield and Burrow with CBEs at the Leeds Rhinos ground in January 2024.

The Prince of Wales was among those who paid tribute after Burrow’s death at the age of 41. Princess Anne also supported Sinfield’s run on Monday during a visit to the University of York. Sinfield was knighted this year, becoming one of the first rugby league players to receive the honour.