Kevin Sinfield to finally be knighted in King’s Birthday Honours

It will finally be Arise, Sir Kev – with Leeds Rhinos and rugby league legend Kevin Sinfield set to receive a Knighthood in the upcoming King’s Birthday Honours.

The Daily Mirror have reported that Sinfield will finally get the honour many within the sport believe he has deserved for years and be made a Sir in the latest honours list, which is due to be revealed at some stage in the coming days.

And Sinfield, who has helped raise millions to both support those living with Motor Neurone Disease and fund research into trying to find a cure for the condition, now looks to be officially recognised and become the second rugby league personality in as many years to be made a Sir.

Wigan Warriors icon Billy Boston was made a Knight last year for services to rugby league and while Sinfield’s ultimate honour is likely to be for his charity fundraising efforts, it does not make it any less special for league supporters – who have led the call for him to be made a Sir for years.

Arise, Sir Kev

Sinfield has only this week revealed details of his seventh and final challenge to try and raise more money for the MND community. He will run seven ultramarathons in as many days, taking in all 12 English Super League grounds from Hull to Wigan, with the final destination the Super League Grand Final at Old Trafford in October.

Speaking about the announcement, Sinfield said: “Our team have done a wonderful job. I couldn’t have done any of it without them, they are so unselfish in the way they’ve gone about this.

“We couldn’t have done this on our own. The money has gone a long way and we’re getting closer and closer, but we’ve got to keep pushing, we’ve got to try and find a cure.”

Calls for a Sinfield Knighthood have been growing for years, ever since his fundraising campaign began back when close friend Rob Burrow was diagnosed with MND.

They have escalated recently with the likes of Speaker Lindsay Hoyle – a huge rugby league fan – demanding that he was officially referred to as Sir Kevin Sinfield.

Hoyle, and many others within the rugby league community, now look as though they will get their wish in the coming days when Sinfield is finally given the honour. It will be a poignant but well deserved moment for the Leeds Rhinos icon.

When will the Honours be announced?

It is unclear the exact date on which the honour will be made official and put into the public realm – but it is likely to be in the coming days.

The King’s Birthday Honours are usually awarded as part of the monarch’s official birthday celebrations – which take place during the month of June.

Last year, that date for the honours fell on the second Saturday in June – which is this weekend and could well be the date in which it is finally revealed and the long overdue honour is awarded to one of rugby league’s greatest servants: and finest human beings.

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