The Prince and Princess of Wales have sent a good luck message to Kevin Sinfield as he prepares to take on a “gruelling” charity run in memory of late rugby star Rob Burrow.
Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales send support to Kevin Sinfield as he prepares for ‘gruelling’ charity run in memory of rugby legend Rob Burrow
The Leeds Rhinos legend passed away in June, aged 41, following a lengthy battle with motor neurone disease (MND), and Prince William and his wife Catherine, both 42, are among those cheering on the former England rugby union coach as he prepares to run 50km a day from Liverpool to Northampton in a week to raise money for six charities in Rob’s memory.
In a video message posted to X, William said: “Catherine and I just wanted to wish you the very best of luck for what’s going to be a very gruelling week.
“What you and Rob have achieved has been incredible and it’s a very fitting tribute to his legacy, what you’re achieving again this week. I’m sure you’ll be running with him in your mind the whole way round.
“So the very best of luck from Catherine and I. We’ll be thinking of you all week.”
Kevin is aiming to raise £777,777, as Rob’s team number was 7.
Following the sad news of Rob’s death, the royal couple paid a touching tribute to the sportsman.
They wrote: “A legend of rugby league, Rob Burrow had a huge heart.
“He taught us, ‘in a world full of adversity, we must dare to dream.’
“Catherine and I send our love to Lindsey, Jackson, Maya and Macy.”
Rob – who won every domestic honour available during his playing career with Leeds Rhinos and was capped by both England and Great Britain – was diagnosed with the degenerative condition in 2019 and he and his loved ones, including Kevin, worked tirelessly to raise awareness and millions of pounds in fundraising to help those affected by the disease.
William honoured Rob and his former teammate Kevin with CBEs in the 2024 New Year Honours list for services to motor neurone disease awareness.
He received an MBE in 2021 for services to rugby league and the motor neurone disease community, before he and Kevin had their titles upgraded to CBEs this year.