Oldham rugby legend and charity fundraiser Kevin Sinfield who ran seven ultra-marathons in a week has been granted the borough’s highest honour.
On Monday night the former Leeds Rhinos star officially received the title of Honorary Freeman of the Borough, the most prestigious award a council can bestow, during a ceremony in front of local councillors, relatives and friends.
Chief executive Harry Catherall said it was a ‘token of the high esteem’ in which the 42-year-old is held by the ‘townspeople of the metropolitan borough of Oldham and in recognition of his eminent services and inspiring achievements’.
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The sporting star is one of just 27 people to receive the honour and joins the ranks of former Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill, suffragist Marjory Lees and Olympic gold medallists Nicola White and Matt Walls.
Widely regarded as one of rugby league’s greatest-ever kickers, the former stand-off had a successful playing career over two decades which began at Waterhead ARLC in Oldham before going on to flourish at Leeds Rhinos, and he is now the defensive coach of England’s national Rugby Union side.
Kevin is a seven-time Super League champion, two-time Challenge Cup and triple World Club Challenge winner, and played on the international stage with both England and Great Britain.
Outside of rugby he has become widely known for his incredible sporting challenges to raise money for his former teammate Rob Burrow, who was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease in December 2019.
These have included completing seven marathons in seven days and seven ultra-marathons within a week, which have raised millions of pounds for charity.
Speaking at the ceremony, Kevin described the Freeman accolade as a ‘huge honour’. “I’ve lived in the town my whole life, was educated here and my boys have grown up here too,” he said.
“To receive such an honour is fantastic for the family. We love living in Oldham. I’m proud at every opportunity to bang the drum about the great town we live in.
“I found throughout the last 20 years, I’ve received quite a number of individual awards but I played a team sport and over the last three years through the challenges we’ve done for Rob Burrow and the MDN community have all been around a team as well.
“There’s been a vast number of people who have been supporting and been right by my side and they must share in that and they’re a big part of this.”
Council leader Amanda Chadderton said that Kevin had become a ‘fan favourite and a club legend’ at Leeds Rhinos.
She added that his sporting achievements alone were enough to bestow the honour of freedom of the borough, but that it was his charitable work that had ‘captured the hearts and minds of millions of people’.
“Because of the dedication he’s shown to his friend and former teammate Rob Burrow after Rob was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in 2019,” she said.
“We all wish we had friends like Kevin Sinfield and we should all aspire to be a friend like Kevin.
“He is a remarkable athlete, a truly inspiring individual, and extraordinary and there is no more fitting way to honour his achievement that with the highest award our borough can bestow upon him.”
Liberal Democrat group leader Councillor Howard Sykes said ‘the boy has done well to say the least’.
Coun Luke Lancaster, the deputy leader of the Conservative group said: “As a superb sportsman alone Kevin Sinfield would more than merit being an Honorary Freeman of our borough however we all know that there is so much more to the man than simply his sporting prowess in that famous number 13 jersey.”
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