News about Kevin Sinfield

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BY DAVID COVERDALE: 'I have been involved in a few fairytales,' reflects Ryan Hall ahead of what could be the greatest of them all at Old Trafford on Saturday night. In 2015, Hall was part of the Leeds Rhinos side who clinched a domestic Treble to give the perfect send-off to Kevin Sinfield, Jamie Peacock and Kylie Leuluai. Two years later, he helped the Rhinos win the Grand Final again and made it a happy ending for two other club legends, Rob Burrow and Danny McGuire. But even those dream moments do not compare to the Cinderella story Hall is helping to write at Hull Kingston Rovers.

The Australian was banned for 'disrespecting' the independent matchday doctor when he disagreed with the decision to remove skipper Ollie Chessum. He subsequently had to watch Saturday's win at Newcastle remotely - spending the weekend in Paris with his wife.

England have confirmed Kevin Sinfield will stay a part of head coach Steve Borthwick's national set-up on a deal through to the 2027 World Cup. Rugby league icon Sinfield first joined England ahead of the 2023 Six Nations after following Borthwick from Leicester Tigers where the pair won the Premiership title. Sinfield's initial role was as defence coach. But uncertainty over his position with England first came when Felix Jones joined and was given the defence position.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BY CHRIS FOY: 'I don't know if there's pressure,' says the Australian, in an exclusive interview with Mail Sport. 'I don't feel it, I suppose. I don't see it as pressure, I see it as responsibility. Here, there is a reputation for success. It's the first time I've been somewhere like that. We don't have to just live up to that reputation, we have to give it a few more coats of paint. We want to add our part to a rich history.'

Sale's promotional campaign for their Premiership season-launching clash in Salford on Sunday featured pictures of Ford and Smith. But the box-office duel will be limited by the fact that Smith has been named on the Quins bench, along with his veteran half-back partner Danny Care. England coaches Kevin Sinfield and Richard Wigglesworth will be in attendance, but they will see Ford line up opposite Welshman Jarrod Evans.

Head coach Borthwick has seen defence coach Felix Jones walk out from his collapsing support set-up while strength and conditioning supremo Aled Walters - who has joined Ireland - and fitness guru Tom Tombleson also quit their RFU roles. Jones took up Sinfield's former job before this year's Six Nations but shocked Borthwick after stepping down. Discussions over his departure date are ongoing. The Telegraph say the RFU have now stepped up their efforts to tie down rugby league icon Sinfield with a new long-term deal. His current contract with the RFU is set to run down in November and he has yet to commit to extending his stay.

Leicester's spit-and-sawdust training ground and no-nonsense methods have been a source of significant pride at the club and a fundamental part of their success over the years. But as she sat at Oval Park earlier this month, Tigers chief executive Andrea Pinchen had a very clear message for everyone associated with the organisation she heads up. 'Finishing eighth isn't what Leicester is about,' Pinchen said, calmly but clearly.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BY ALEX BYWATER: The sun is setting on a balmy August evening at Kineton Sports & Social Club as George Hendy sips a questionable choice in lager and discusses his impressive summer sporting achievements. 'We drink Carling here,' says Hendy, the promising Northampton back and hero of their Premiership title win last season. 'It's the rules.' OK then. Thankfully, Hendy's on-field prowess is better than his beverage selection at the bar. Not only is he one of English rugby's brightest young talents, he is also a more-than-handy cricketer.

ALEX BYWATER: England's impressive development under Steve Borthwick has been hit by a hammer blow after the RFU confirmed the departure of the team's head of strength and conditioning Aled Walters.  Under the guidance of head coach Borthwick, England finished third at last year's World Cup, impressed at the end of the 2024 Six Nations to again seal third, and pushed New Zealand hard in two Tests in the southern hemisphere last month. Walters has been a key part of the set-up's progression.  He is renowned as one of the best in his field and was a key lieutenant to Borthwick as the pair worked together to win the Gallagher Premiership with Leicester Tigers in 2022. 

Michael Cheika admitted he didn't have a move to the Gallagher Premiership in mind but said he couldn't turn down Leicester and then declared the Tigers are 'in it to win everything'. The Welford Road outfit shocked English club rugby when they confirmed the departure of previous head coach Dan McKellar in June and almost immediately replaced him with his fellow Australian Cheika. Leicester finished eighth last season in an underwhelming first campaign under McKellar. Cheika, who has had a glittering coaching career with Leinster, Stade Francais, Australia and Argentina, has been brought in on short notice to turn things around. He is confident of doing so. 'I probably wasn't aiming to come into the Premiership, but when a club like Leicester makes that approach it's almost impossible not to take it,' Cheika said. 'We're in it to win everything. I'm really happy we got into the European Cup because it will be important for us to compete as hard as we can on all fronts.'

Sky Sports rugby league commentator Bill Arthur has passed away at the age of 68 after a lengthy battle with prostate cancer. Sky confirmed the news on Thursday, announcing that Arthur - who was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2011 - died peacefully while surrounded by his family on Wednesday. Paying tribute to Arthur, they wrote: 'Bill was a much-loved and respected member of the Sky Sports family who will be missed terribly by his friends and colleagues. 

Steve Borthwick is not known for mind games, but England's head coach is dabbling with the dark arts as he seeks to keep the heat and glare on New Zealand and off his players. England flew to Auckland yesterday to regroup and review after their one-point defeat here on Saturday, before the build-up to the series finale at Eden Park. A close encounter at Forsyth Barr Stadium saw the All Blacks seal a tense victory, which seemingly shifted some pressure away from Scott Robertson's new regime and on to the tourists. But Borthwick is determined to shift it back again.

Kevin Sinfield will miss England's first Test against New Zealand in Dunedin next Saturday, in order to attend the funeral of his good friend, Rob Burrow, who died earlier this month after a protracted battle with Motor Neurone Disease. Steve Borthwick has cleared his highly-valued assistant to fly home, so that he can pay his respects in person, before returning to the tour ahead of the second Test at Eden Park. When Sinfield opened up in Auckland about grieving for his long-time Leeds Rhinos team-mate - who he has supported with heroic fund-raising feats in recent years - he said: 'The funeral is a week on Sunday. 'It's in Pontefract Crematorium. It's a private ceremony with family and friends. People might know where it is and come and stand outside, but there's only about 100 people who have been asked to attend. The rest will be asked to line the streets, which I'm sure they will.

Leicester have completed a dramatic, high-speed regime change by hiring former Argentina and Wallabies head coach Michael Cheika, in place of his ousted fellow Australian, Dan McKellar. Just days after the Tigers announced that McKellar was departing, having been in charge for just one, disastrous season - by 'mutual consent', as is always the official wording these days - they have confirmed the appointment of his high-profile compatriot. Cheika is one of the best-known coaches in world rugby, who guided the Pumas to a fourth-place finish in last year's World Cup and took Australia to the 2015 final, following a stunning, accelerated salvage operation. In theory, it is a remarkable coup for Leicester, but time will tell whether recruiting another foreign figurehead is the right move, for a club with its own strong culture and traditions, in a league where overseas coaches have often struggled, whatever their reputation on arrival. Incidentally, McKellar was highly rated Down Under when the Tigers lured him north and it is understood that he is still regarded as a future Wallabies head coach, despite his ordeal in the East Midlands.

Rob Burrow's widow Lindsey (left) has opened up about the 'tough few weeks' following his death earlier this month.  The Leeds Rhinos star passed away on June 2 surrounded by his family following a five-year battle with Motor Neurone Disease (MND).  MND is a rare, degenerative condition which affects the brain and nerves, for which there is no cure, brought to national attention by Burrow and his close friend Kevin Sinfield. Rob and Lindsey are pictured together, right, in 2023. She is pictured with their children last week, centre.

EXCLUSIVE BY CHRIS FOY: Mail Sport understands that plans are locked in already for two internationals against Argentina in 2025, in keeping with recent tradition for trips to South America in Lions years. But it is believed there is a chance that they will venture to North America too, which would represent a significant break with modern-day touring patterns. England's travels have become limited to so-called 'Tier 1' nations in the last two decades and more. In 2021, the national team hosted the USA and Canada while Covid restrictions remained in place.

CHRIS FOY IN TOKYO: Kevin Sinfield is considering the possibility of extending his involvement with England beyond their current summer tour - if terms can be agreed with the RFU about the extent of his remit. The former rugby league icon was due to move on following the Tests here in Japan and in New Zealand next month, but head coach Steve Borthwick wishes to retain the services of a popular figure.  Initially, Sinfield joined the England set-up - at the same time as Borthwick - to oversee the defence, but since the World Cup last autumn, he has focused on skills and kicking, with Felix Jones brought in as the new defence guru.

Traditional ATMs only accept deposits from customers of the bank whose name the machine operates under. This multi-bank deposit facility will be particularly attractive to small businesses that need to bank cash takings on a regular basis. Closures have made banking of cash difficult for many businesses, forcing them to travel further afield to find a branch that will take their deposits. Some have had no choice but to go cashless - in the process infuriating shoppers who prefer to use cash. Although this new breed of ATM is being trialled, it is here to stay.

Some years ago, when my family and I had a small farm in the Peak District, I was sitting on my swing seat enjoying the sun and the beautiful view from our garden. I had a cup of coffee, and all seemed well with the world. All of a sudden, two ramblers wearing T-shirts, shorts and sunglasses appeared at the stile which led from the field to my garden. To my astonishment, they climbed in. 'What on earth do you think you're doing?' I shrieked. 'This is my garden.' 'Right to roam, innit, darlin'?' they laughed as they rambled across my lawn and out towards the road.

The Leeds Rhinos legend died last Sunday aged 41 following a four-and-a-half-year battle with motor neurone disease. The RFL had already announced plans for a minute's silence at Wembley before the men's and women's finals, as well as a minute's applause after seven minutes. But a further tribute will now be paid to Burrow by starting the men's clash between Warrington Wolves and Wigan Warriors at 3.07pm rather than 3pm. Players will also walk-out at Wembley wearing blue MND Association tops, the charity Burrow and his former Rhinos captain Kevin Sinfield have supported in recent times.

This is the tearjerking moment Rob Burrow calls his best friend and teammate Kevin Sinfield his 'guardian angel' in footage released only after his death. Today, pre-recorded video was released of the former rugby icon's last message to his friends, family, and the world. He thanks his best friend Sinfield, calling him his 'guardian angel'. After video is shown of the pair hugging, Burrow grins and says: 'What can I say about Kev? Once in your life you come across a special human being. 'I have a guardian angel looking after me.' In the footage aired on BBC One, Sinfield says solemnly: 'You realise pretty quickly that this is everywhere. 'There are thousands of others who have had their lives ravaged by such a terrible disease.' Following footage of the marathon where Sinfield carried his friend across the finish line and kissed him on the cheek, which was seared into viewers' minds, Burrow joked: 'How many people will be jealous of a smacker on the cheek?'

Rugby League fans will pay their respects to Rob Burrow at Wembley on Saturday, with a minute's silence before the men's and women's Challenge Cup finals and a round of applause in the seventh minute of the games. Leeds Rhinos players have also called for a stand at Headingley to be named after Burrow, who passed away on Sunday aged 41 after a four-and-a-half-year battle with motor neurone disease. A statue of the Rhinos legend alongside his former captain Kevin Sinfield at the stadium had already been commissioned by the club.

As friends and former Leeds Rhinos team-mates, Sinfield and Burrow raised £15million for charity to raise awareness and fund research into motor neurone disease (MND). After a brave four-and-a-half-year battle with the debilitating illness, Burrow tragically passed away on Sunday surrounded by his devoted wife, his three children, his parents and his two sisters. Sinfield said it was 'the day that I hoped would never come', adding: 'You were the toughest and bravest man I have ever met.' Less than 24 hours after his friend's death, Sinfield joined Burrow's tearful parents as construction began at the site for a £6million MND centre, which will be named in the late rugby star's honour.

An emotional Kevin Sinfield has admitted the death of his best friend Rob Burrow is 'pretty raw still' but says he still vows to continue raising awareness of motor neurone disease in his legacy. The rugby league star 'didn't suffer' as he passed away in hospital on Sunday at the age of 41 - five years after being diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MID). Kevin played for Leeds Rhinos with Rob for 16 years and had worked with his teammate since 2019 to increase awareness of MND, raising more than £15million for charity in the process. The former player was in attendance today as Rob's father Geoff dug the first hole on the site of the new £6million Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease in Leeds. Speaking to BBC News, Kevin described Rob as a 'special person' and wished 'he could have seen the outpouring of love' that has been seen across the country since his passing on Sunday.