The Prince and Princess of Wales made a surprise visit to Wakefield, West Yorkshire, to support Sir Kevin Sinfield on the third day of his seven-ultra-marathon fundraising challenge for Motor Neurone Disease (MND) charities.
The endurance challenge – seven ultra marathons in seven days from Hull to Manchester – was inspired by Sir Kevin's former teammate Rob Burrow, who died from MND in June 2024. Sir Kevin has said this will be his final major fundraising test, which is due to finish at Old Trafford in Manchester ahead of the Super League Grand Final.
Prince William and Catherine met young people at the Leeds Rhinos rugby league club [Reuters]
Royal Encouragement and Personal Support
During the visit in Wakefield the Princess praised Sir Kevin's work:
"What you're doing is so inspiring – the unity that you're building."
Prince William offered encouragement as Sir Kevin pressed on:
Catherine applauded Sir Kevin's charity fundraising, which has raised more than £11m for MND causes [PA Media]
"Make sure you hold yourself together for another few days."
Sir Kevin replied with humour that he had been "dreaming of an ice bath all day."
Impact And Community Work
Since his first challenge in 2020, Sir Kevin has raised more than £11 million for MND causes. The royal couple made a private donation to the fundraising appeal during their visit and spoke with families affected by MND to hear how the money has helped local care and support projects.
Sir Kevin Sinfield began his running endurance test on Saturday [PA]
Earlier the same day William and Catherine visited the Leeds Rhinos' Headingley ground, where they met young players and community members involved with the club's charitable foundation. The foundation supports local work in health, education and wellbeing.
Jamie Jones-Buchanan, a former teammate of Rob Burrow, summed up the club's spirit: "We went through success and adversity, but we always came out on the other side together."
Broader Support And Honours
This royal visit followed other high-profile shows of support: Princess Anne met Sir Kevin on the second day of the run at the University of York and wryly observed that describing the effort as a "fun run" was a contradiction: "I can run but I don't do it for fun. I'm past that stage."
Sir Kevin was knighted this year, one of the earliest knighthoods awarded to a rugby league player. The sport has long campaigned against perceived snobbery in the honours system; in June 2025 Sir Billy Boston became the first rugby league player to be knighted in the sport's 130-year history.
The challenge will conclude on Saturday when Sir Kevin arrives at Old Trafford ahead of the Super League Grand Final. Supporters have followed his progress closely as he continues to raise funds and public awareness for MND research and care.
