Kevin Sinfield: what did ex-Leeds Rhinos captain say about Rob Burrows and MND at SPOTY Awards?

Rugby League icons Rob Burrow and Kevin Sinfield were honoured at the BBC Sports Personality Of The Year awards.

Burrow was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in 2019 and has been a keen fundraiser for MND charities alongside his close friend Sinfield.

The pair entered the stage alongside Burrows’s wife and were met by a huge round of applause from the audience. Burrow went on to give an emotional speech where he thanked those closest to him for their help and the way they have supported him through a difficult period.

Burrow used an eye-controlled computer which recreates words into a version of his voice to communicate.

The 40-year-old said: “I’m inspired to keep going by my friend Kevin Sinfield, the guy who makes the impossible possible, and my family as a whole who have put their own family on hold to care for me.

“Especially my beautiful wife Lindsey and my amazing kids. Lindsey did not expect to sign up for this but she puts me first and foremost. I’m not here without her sacrifice. Lastly, this is for all the MND warriors out there, we will not stop with finding a cure. Thanks for your help.”

Former England international Sinfield also took to the stage to give a passionate speech about the disease - and went on to criticise the government for their lack of funding to support the cause.

But what did Kevin Sinfield say during the awards ceremony and how much has the rugby icon raised for MND sufferers?

Here is everything you need to know.

What did Kevin Sinfield say at the SPOTY Awards?

Kevin Sinfield paid an emotional tribute to his close friend Rob Burrow and described him as one of the UK’s most inspirational figures. The speech brought viewers at home to tears and was met with praise on social media.

Sinfield said: “Rob is probably the most inspirational bloke in the UK. He has inspired us to be better friends. In sport and certainly in rugby, the connections you make, the friends don’t just stop when the whistle goes. Sport is powerful enough to bring communities together.”

Sinfield added: “What we witnessed was a nation that cared about the MND community. MND isn’t incurable, it’s just underfunded. We’ve got to keep fighting. We will keep banging the drum.”

How much has Kevin Sinfield raised for MND charities?

Since Burrow’s diagnosis in 2019, Sinfield has raised more than £7 million for MND charities.

The former Leeds Rhinos captain has taken part in a host of fundraising activities whilst championing research - in November he ran seven ultra marathons in seven days, covering a distance of around 300 miles. His journey took him from Edinburgh to Manchester via Melrose, Newcastle, Middlesbrough, York, Leeds and Bradford in 7 days. Overall it worked out as an average of 60 km of running each day.

The event ended at Old Trafford on Saturday 19 November and Sinfield received a hero’s welcome after arriving at the stadium.

Sinfield’s challenge supports the MND association which receives 41%, Leeds Hospital Charity which also gets 41% with the remainder being split evenly between three other MND charities which are MND Scotland, My Name’5 Doodie Foundation and The Darby Rimmer MND Foundation.