Why Sinfield was at Carrington

One of the most successful players in Super League history, having captained Leeds Rhinos to seven championships, Sinfield is currently working as a defence coach for England’s rugby union team and was in France with the Red Rose recently as they made it to the semi-finals of the World Cup.

His visit to our base was part of Kevin’s coaching development and he highlighted the similarities between football and the two rugby codes he’s associated with.

“It’s a huge honour to be here learning from some of the best,” he told club media.

“I had some time with the manager, some time with Steve [McClaren] and a couple of the players and I’ve got a load from it. It’s been really enjoyable.

“Clearly, there's a different level of contact in football but actually, with the training, there are some crossovers, certainly with it being an invasion game.

“So it’s understanding how the tactics work, how messages are delivered and then I think with most team sports, with boys and girls, or football or rugby, that unity, that togetherness, that connection that players have is the same across all sports. So yeah, it's a wonderful environment and I've really enjoyed my time here.”

The 43-year-old has become widely known across the United Kingdom in recent years due to his superhuman charity efforts.

Sinfield has raised millions of pounds for the Motor Neurone Disease Association, after former Rhinos team-mate Rob Burrow was diagnosed with the condition in 2019, and the work is something the Reds squad was keen to learn more about.

“I had a brief chat [with a couple of players]," he added.

“I don't often get a chance to talk about my playing career, but some of the guys had some questions and certainly some interest in the work I've been able to do over the last couple of years with our team and, in particular, around Rob and the MND Association.

“So I've been explaining some of that. It shows the awareness and the way we've been able to shift the dial on the disease, and now we can try to improve it going forwards.”

Kevin’s most recent charity effort saw him complete seven ultramarathons in seven days, covering over 300 miles before crossing the finish line at Old Trafford during last November’s Rugby League World Cup final.

As he reflected on the pride he felt at that moment, Oldham-born Sinfield explained his next endeavour, which kicks off on Friday 1 December.

“It was immense. To walk into a wonderful stadium, that I was fortunate enough to play at a number of times with Leeds, in front of 80,000 rugby league fans was very, very special.

“To feel the support of that stadium for the MND community was very powerful. Now we've got seven marathons, plus an extra mile each day, in seven different cities across the UK and Ireland. It'll be our fourth challenge now as a team.

“It's something I'm incredibly passionate about. I think it's probably the reason I'm here today. If you go back in the journey, the reason I went into coaching was because of Rob and his journey, but I think we’ve found that we can make a small difference to a beautiful community’s lives, and we've been able to do that through raising awareness and funds.

“The intangible in all this is how we've been able to make people feel about this community and how the community feels about each other. We’re immensely proud of the work we've done.”

Find out more about Kevin's 7 in 7 in 7 challenge and discover how you can donate here.