Kevin Sinfield unveils new 7 in 7 Challenge with Headingley return confirmed to honour Rob Burrow

Kevin Sinfield has confirmed plans for the sixth of his annual challenges to raise money to fight Motor Neurone Disease in honour of former Leeds Rhinos’ teammate Rob Burrow.

So far, Kevin Sinfield has completed five challenges and raised over £10 million to help raise awareness and combat MND, a disease that Rob Burrow was diagnosed with in late 2019.

Burrow passed away last year after a four-and-a-half-year battle with the condition, during which he helped to inspire millions and raise millions of pounds, all with the help of Sinfield who is now set to go again this December.

The 7 in 7 challenges have seen the former Leeds Rhinos man complete seven ultramarathons in seven days across the United Kingdom and Ireland and that’s the plan once again, although with some different locations involved.

Starting on Monday, 1st December, Sinfield and his team will begin in East Anglia with day two taking them to the Republic of Ireland. They’ll cross the Irish Sea and run in Swansea on day three before heading to Sheffield, finishing at the Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN). Groundbreaking research into MND, partially funded by previous challenges, takes palce there.

Day five sees Kevin Sinfield and team head north to Cumbria before then onto Dundee in respect of Doddie Weir, before returning to Yorkshire with Headingley being the finish line. It will mark the first time the challenge has returned to Leeds since the passing of Rob Burrow.

7 in 7 “a form of therapy at times” as Kevin Sinfield announces sixth challenge

Kevin Sinfield spoke on BBC Breakfast to announce the plans and spoke about wanting to visit a number of different areas, with each location having a special reason for hosting a leg of the challenge.

On the return to Leeds, he said: “Clearly Leeds, we’ve been a number of times. There’s a real pull there, it’s where Rob played and where this all started for us.”

He also explained how the challenge acted as a “form of therapy”, noting how it helps give a focus before speaking on Leeds Rhinos upcoming match which will be their annual MND fundraiser game.

“It’s good for me, it’s good,” Sinfield explained.

“It’s almost a form of therapy at times. We all lose people we love and this has given us something to really go after.

“What you’ll see at the weekend is that there’s a big MND game at Headingley, Leeds are home to Wakefield in Super League and a lot of players who played alongside Rob are attending at the weekend.

“It’s really important that we still remember and share and keep his legacy going.”

Speaking on the Leeds Rhinos’ website, he added: “We have committed to doing seven annual challenges, as most people know the number seven is special to us because it is the number Rob wore.

“There are so many special memories from the previous challenges when people are so grateful that we have come to their village, town or city. With this penultimate challenge we wanted to continue that theme.

“The logistics around getting to each region in the timescale is part of our challenge but it is worth it when we receive such a warm welcome.”

‘We go again’

Leeds Rhinos legend Kevin Sinfield told #BBCBreakfast about his sixth challenge to take on 7 ultramarathons in 7 days in December to raise funds and awareness for MND https://t.co/HolBP83lNF pic.twitter.com/wx2Yq1wxbI

— BBC Breakfast (@BBCBreakfast) May 28, 2025