BY JOHN DAVIDSON
Kevin Sinfield says he knows what he is supposed to do with the rest of his life after his playing career and that is to help others and continue to raise money for charity.
Sinfield hung up his boots after a glittering rugby league career in 2015, and had a brief spell playing rugby union a year later, before joining the RFL as rugby director. He then served as Leeds Rhinos’ director of rugby for three years before moving into coaching in union with Leicester in 2021 and now with the England national team.
Since 2020, after his good friend and former teammate Rob Burrow was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease, the 44-year-old has embarked on a series of marathon running challenges that have raised millions for charity.
Sinfield, who will begin another ultra-running challenge this weekend, admitted he struggled for purpose after retiring and even considered becoming a doctor.
But now he says he is sure of his path and that is to continue to help people through his charity efforts and in coaching.
“I know what I’m here for now,” the former Leeds and England captain said, at a speaking event in Bradford last night.
“I don’t want to be remembered as an ex-rugby player. I want to really help people in the best way possible.”
“I look at my experience and the best way to utilise that is to be in rugby and try and help and support players. Away from that, and more importantly for me, is the charity stuff I’ve been able to do.
“I know why I’m here, I want to help the MND community. I want us to find a cure. I owe it to Rob and to Doddie [Weir] and everyone else we’ve lost along the way.
“The legacy piece is really important. But we’re not here for a long time so I want to make people’s journey a little bit better and make it a little bit more manageable.
“A lot of people get to the end of their life and they don’t quite know why they’ve been here. Well, I know exactly what mine is.”
Sinfield conceded that he doesn’t even like running, and that he isn’t any good at it, but will look to embark on other fundraising feats once his seven running challenges are completed.
“I might not be able to run forever.,” he said.
“I’ve pledged that I will try and do seven running challenges, because it’s around that number seven, but then I will do seven of something else.
“What they’ll be I’m not quite sure. But I’m passionate about this and it means a lot to me.”
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