Why Leeds Rhinos legend Kevin Sinfield will never stop going the extra mile for teammate Rob Burrow

Sinfield’s autobiography ‘The Extra Mile’ was published by Penguin Random House today and is set to become a best-seller.

He has written books in the past - a season’s diary and pictorial review of his rugby league career - but was never keen on producing a typical sporting life story. Then things changed.

In 2019 former Rhinos teammate and fellow legend Rob Burrow was diagnosed with the terminal illness motor neurone disease (MND) and suddenly Sinfield had a new mission in life.

Since then, a series of incredible challenges, all underpinned by his friendship with Burrow, have raised more than £7m for MND causes and, though it’s not something that motivates him, made Sinfield a household name.

His current book tour, for example, features a date in central London, as well as several in or around Leeds and Manchester, which would have been unthinkable a few years ago.

The autobiography includes a resume of his incredible career, including 13 years as Rhinos captain, seven Grand Final wins, two Challenge Cups, and leading his country, as well as ventures into rugby union and working behind the scenes at Leeds.

But Sinfield - MBE, OBE and surely destined to become Sir Kev for real at some stage - is clear on what sets ‘The Extra Mile’ apart. He told The YEP: “It heavily features how important friendship is to everything we do and every part of life.

“There is a thread of MND right the way through it. You’d understand why, when a really close friend gets diagnosed. It has been so tough at times, but so rewarding as well.”

The duo’s bond was never clearer than earlier this month when they took part together in the Rob Burrow Leeds marathon, Sinfield pushing his wheelchair-bound ex-teammate around the course before carrying him over the finish line at Rhinos’ Headingley Stadium.

“He is full of spirit, full of life,” Sinfield said of Burrow, who has also captured the nation’s hearts with the courageous way he - and his family - have dealt with an almost unimaginably traumatic situation.

“He loved the marathon, though it was tough. It was the heat more than anything, it was probably the first hot day we’ve had all year and for Rob to be in that chair for that length of time was tough, but he is good, really good.”

Sinfield’s challenges began in 2020 when he completed seven marathons in as many days around the Oldham and Leeds areas. The following year came the ‘extra mile’, a run in just 24 hours from Leicester Tigers’ Welford Road ground, where Sinfield was then on the coaching staff, to Headingley.

Last autumn, he was back pounding the streets, a series of ultra-marathons taking him from Edinburgh to Old Trafford, where he arrived at half-time of the men’s rugby league World Cup final.

For Sinfield, all that pushing himself to the limit has been about raising awareness as well as funds. Both objectives have been achieved, but - typically - Sinfield insists that is all down to Burrow.

“I think he has inspired everybody across the UK,” Sinfield said. “He has raised awareness massively across the UK and I’d say world-wide now. He has had a huge effect on many people and inspired loads of people to run a marathon in his name. There were an incredible amount of first-time marathon runners.

“The awareness is so important because what it means is that families who have been ravaged for decades are now happy to talk about somebody who had MND in the family and people understand what these people go through and the battle they have, yet they do it with such spirit and humour and fortitude.

“The money is the thing that moves the dial more than anything, because that’s the thing that will eventually get us a cure. We have to keep working towards that and pushing and driving and we’ll do that together.”

As for what his next big effort will be, Sinfield confirmed: “I have got something planned. My focus at the minute is on the [rugby union] World Cup and doing my day job [as England assistant-coach] , but I know I can turn myself around pretty quickly to take on something else.

“I feel I have got a really good grasp of what works now, after three different challenges, although they’ve all been running.

“I think I understand what brings communities together and what gets people to support and stand shoulder to shoulder with the MND community and show everybody how much they care. There is something, but we’ll see.”

Sinfield didn’t take up distance running until after retiring as a player, when his body was already carrying bumps and bruises from 20 years’ of high-impact collisions, week-in and week-out. He is now 42 and with all that behind him, plus the gruelling endeavours of the past three years, hasn’t he done enough?

“No, not until we get a cure,” is the emphatic answer. “I am passionate about it, I am passionate about all the people I’ve met with MND and it can’t stop now.

“That may mean I have to do it very differently in the future, but I will still try to continue to do my little bit. That has been the big message from the book, really - how important friendship is.

“You don’t have to run marathons, you just have to do a little bit to help. It can make a massive difference if we all do a little bit. We saw that with the Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon. If 12,500 people get together, you are going to do something special.

“We have raised over £4m for a whole range of different charities across the UK. That’s massive and it’s a lot easier 12,500 people doing it than it is our small team of 18-20.

“There was a real community feel, everyone was involved, people lined the streets for us. It made it an incredible, special day.”