William and Catherine join Kevin Sinfield on final MND fundraising challenge

The Prince and Princess of Wales made an unannounced visit to Wakefield, West Yorkshire, to meet Sir Kevin Sinfield as he continued a seven-day endurance challenge raising money for motor neurone disease charities. The visit came on the third day of the run, which Sinfield has described as his final major fundraising challenge.

Catherine praised the unity and inspiration generated by his efforts. Prince William urged Sinfield to keep going for the remaining days, while the rugby league star said he had been looking forward to an ice bath. The couple also made a private donation to the fundraising effort.

Sinfield is attempting seven ultra marathons in seven days, travelling between Hull and Manchester. The challenge was inspired by his former Leeds Rhinos teammate Rob Burrow, who died from motor neurone disease in June 2024, aged 41. Sinfield is due to complete the challenge on Saturday at Old Trafford in Manchester, arriving before the Super League Grand Final.

Before meeting Sinfield, William and Catherine spoke with families affected by the disease. They heard about the impact of motor neurone disease on those families and how fundraising initiatives had helped them. Sinfield has raised more than £11 million for causes supporting people with the condition since beginning his challenges in 2020.

Earlier on Tuesday, the royal couple visited Headingley, the home ground of the Leeds Rhinos, and met young players. They were briefed on the work of the club’s charitable foundation, which supports health, education and wellbeing projects in the Leeds area. Jamie Jones-Buchanan, a former teammate of Burrow, reflected on the club’s culture, saying its members had faced both success and adversity but remained united.

William and Catherine have backed Sinfield’s fundraising work before. In January 2024, the prince presented him and Burrow with their CBEs at the Leeds Rhinos ground. Burrow died several months later, and William was among those who paid tribute to him.

The Wakefield meeting was the second royal show of support for Sinfield’s run this week. Princess Anne met him on Monday at the University of York. She joked that calling the challenge a “fun run” was contradictory, saying she could run but no longer did so for enjoyment.

Sinfield was knighted this year, among the first rugby league players to receive the honour. The recognition followed criticism that the honours system had overlooked the sport because of snobbery. In June 2025, Sir Billy Boston received a knighthood, becoming the second rugby league player to be honoured and the first in the game’s 130-year existence. Sinfield’s challenge is now set to conclude in Manchester on Saturday.