Sir Kevin Sinfield

Why Sir Kevin Sinfield Receives The Inspiration Award 2026

Sir Kevin Sinfield was presented with The Inspiration Award at the Lloyds British Business Excellence Awards 2026 by Lindsey Burrow on behalf of the judges, in recognition of six years of leadership, endurance and teamwork on behalf of people living with motor neurone disease. Sir Kevin also spoke at the ceremony, held at Grosvenor House, London, on 10 November 2026.

Running for a friend

It began with a team-mate. Rob Burrow, Sir Kevin’s close friend from their years together at Leeds Rhinos, was diagnosed with MND in December 2019. A year later, Sir Kevin ran seven marathons in seven days, raising £2.7m. In 2021 he ran 101 miles in 24 hours, from Leicester Tigers to Headingley, and he has returned every year since, with each challenge built around the number seven that Burrow wore throughout his playing career.

Burrow died in June 2024, aged 41. Sir Kevin kept going. His 2025 challenge, 7 in 7: Together, took the team to places including Ipswich, Cork, Swansea, Workington and Dundee, chosen so that MND communities away from the usual routes knew they had not been forgotten. It raised more than £1.2m, according to the MND Association.

A grand finale

The seventh and final challenge, 7 in 7: The Grand Finale, saw Sir Kevin and his team run an ultramarathon every day for a week across the north of England, visiting all 12 English Super League grounds. The Princess Royal greeted them at the University of York, and the Prince and Princess of Wales met them at Wakefield. On 3 October 2026, Sir Kevin ran onto the pitch at Old Trafford to deliver the match ball for the Super League Grand Final, with the challenge having raised more than £1m.

Four days later, the Prince of Wales knighted him at Windsor Castle, for services to the MND community and to rugby. He is only the second rugby league figure to be knighted, after Sir Billy Boston. Since 2020, Sir Kevin and his team have raised more than £13m for six MND charities. The MND Association, where he has been a patron since 2021, says the money is funding research projects and helped to establish its Research Nurse Network.

Lessons for every leader

In Kevin the BBEA board saw qualities that every business leader will recognise: a clear purpose, a team that shares it, and the resilience to keep delivering year after year. Sir Kevin has always insisted that the achievement belongs to the whole team, and he has brought the same approach to coaching, helping Leicester Tigers win the Premiership in 2021-22 before joining England’s coaching staff in December 2022.

Sarah Austin, Director of the Lloyds British Business Excellence Awards, said: "Every year our judges meet extraordinary business leaders, but this award is for someone whose example reaches far beyond any boardroom. Sir Kevin has shown what real leadership looks like: a clear purpose, a team that believes in it, and the determination to keep going when it gets hard. He did it for a friend and for a whole community, and in doing so he has inspired people right across the country. Our judges felt there was no one more deserving of this award, and we were honoured to have welcomed him on stage tonight."

Sir Kevin joins the 2026 winners of the Lloyds British Business Excellence Awards. Read more about his knighthood and fundraising from the MND Association.