Sir Kevin Sinfield's 7 in 7 fundraising passes £13 million as he sets sights on next chapter

Sir Kevin Sinfield and his 7 in 7 team completed their latest epic endurance running challenge in front of 70,000 fans at Old Trafford on Saturday, but already the legendary Rugby League player has set his sights on his most audacious fundraising challenge yet.

Since December 2020, Sinfield and the 7 in 7 team have now raised over £13 million for MND charities with the seventh and final 7 in 7 Challenge in the UK and Ireland being completed at the Betfred Super League Grand Final on Saturday night.

It completes an epic six year journey that has taken the team from as far north as Dundee in Scotland to Brighton on the South coast of England and from Cork in the Republic of Ireland to Ipswich on the tip of East Anglia, calling at cities, towns and villages too numerous to list along the way.

What started as a run for a mate with a mate, inspired by Sinfield’s friendship with Rob Burrow CBE, when his former team mate was diagnosed with MND back in December 2019, has become a movement that has raised funds and awareness for people right across the UK and Ireland.

However, Sinfield has now revealed his next challenge will involve travel to New Zealand and Australia in 2027. Precise timings and venues have not been confirmed as yet, but it will see Sinfield run seven marathons in seven venues in seven days.

Commenting on the announcement Sinfield said, “Saturday was a beautiful culmination for our 7 in 7 team.  To raise so much money and awareness has been wonderful, but the most important thing has been to show the MND community that they are loved. I have always said I am committed to this cause for life.  There will come a time when I can’t run anymore but until then I am always thinking of ways I can do more.

“I have been part of the best team I have ever been in over the last six years and I could not have achieved what I have without our incredible team behind me. But seven felt like the right number to finish this chapter. Everyone involved volunteers their time, we don’t have a marketing or events company running things behind the scenes, our team are doing this in their spare time alongside their day jobs. That includes the long weeks of training and months of planning and preparing, so it would be wrong for me to assume everyone would want to go again, I hope we can but the next challenge has to look different and go to new places.

“We have seen recently in Australia, with the news that both Rugby League star Jai Arrow and Rugby Union international Nathan Charles have been diagnosed with MND, that more needs doing. Former AFL star Neale Daniher did an incredible job in raising the profile for the disease in Australia before his passing earlier this year and hopefully we can pull all the football codes together with our week long challenge. We have lots of friends in New Zealand, from both codes of Rugby, who have sent me messages of support down the years and it would be wonderful to go there too.

“It is obviously a massive undertaking and we will need the help of partners to deliver it but we are confident we can continue to bang the drum for MND,” added Sinfield.