Within every community, sports club or social group, some individuals will go out of their way to help with fundraising without seeking any personal financial rewards, favours or recognition. Kevin Sinfield is one of those people.
Motor Neurone Disease
The outstanding rugby league player Rob Burrow, CBE, was diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND) in 2019 at the age of 37. With the support of his wife, family and supporters, Sinfield, his Leeds Rhino colleague, raised over ￡4 million towards building a specialist MND care centre in Leeds.
Unfortunately, Burrow died on 2nd June 2024 at the age of 41. Rob played 493 times for Leeds Rhinos from 2001 to 2017. In his career, he won eight Super League championships, two Challenge cups, three World Cup Challenge trophies, fifteen England caps, and also played five times for Great Britain.
The Extra Mile
In terms of Rob’s attributes, readers may well be aware of the adage, “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight. But the size of the fight in the dog that counts”. Rob was the smallest player to play in the Super League. He was renowned for his speed, acceleration, upper body strength, tenacity, and determination.
In The Extra Mile, an awe-inspiring, engaging, insightful and emotional read, Sinfield recalls his great friendship with Burrows. Both on and off the field.
Kevin highlights his own family life, his enduring friendships with players such as Rob and his sporting career. This has generated his desire to make a difference. His friendship with Rob and seeing the deterioration in his physique ignited his determination to support those suffering from MND.
Personal Strengths
The book highlights Kevin’s personal strengths and how he made a difference to those experiencing MND. There is currently no cure. It is a disease that wastes away an individual’s muscles, stops their movement and progresses unpredictably.
We read about the experiences of top-level athletes such as Burrows, Doddy Weir, Ed Slater, Stephen Darby, Jason Bowen, and Marcus Stewart and how MND has affected these athletes.
With the valued support of Paul Hayward, Kevin reflects on the impact and influence of others. Including his parents, brother and sister, his roots in Oldham, his career at Leeds Rhinos, and also coaching at Leicester Tigers and England.
His vast experience in leadership, determination and man-management skills shine through, as does his ability to generate support from others and get the best from those around him.
Sinfield’s reflections on leadership will be insightful and valuable for managers in industry, education, and sports who wish to create a united dressing room, with the entire squad aligned in a shared leadership model.
The Eternal Team
The focus should be on promoting the “critical mass” who want to win while also addressing the key issue of self-doubt. The chapter on “The Eternal Team” clearly illustrates how the bonds he made during his playing career laid the groundwork for lifelong ties.
Readers may find the chapter “My Friend Rob” poignant as he reflects on Rob’s talents as a player and how he was central to the group. He also talks about “climbing the friendship scale”. This promoted the deep desire of Kevin to raise money to help those with MND.
Awe-inspiring
Kevin talks about the challenges he has undergone to raise money, including running “Seven Marathons for Our No 7”. This involved covering over 101 miles in 24 hours with a team of supporters. The photographs in the book reveal the efforts of Kevin, his team, and supporters, which enabled Rob to continue fighting and fund more research into MND.
The photograph of them running through the streets of Leeds, with Rob in the world’s “most hightech” wheelchair” highlights their determination to the cause. Readers may well be emotionally stirred by the awe-inspiring pictures of Kevin lifting Rob and carrying him over the line.
Outstanding Leadership
Kevin Sinfield displayed outstanding leadership skills on the rugby pitch. He has transferred these to supporting Rob and his family to fund research to find a cure for MND. Both Kevin and Rob have shown they have “hearts of lions”.
This outstanding read highlights how an individual can display the determination to motivate a team to go the extra mile. It is an inspirational book which shows how friendship, leadership and togetherness can face challenges. It also raises awareness of how volunteering can really make a difference.
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Author: John Morris for Love Wrexham Magazine
John is an FA coach. He has worked with young players at Fulham, Chelsea, QPR and Wrexham, promoting resilience, tenacity and self-discipline. He is currently a consultant addressing growth mindsets to promote sports, education, and business performance.
