Whitehall officials are “frustrated” about stuffy protocol rules which are set to delay a knighthood for rugby league hero Kevin Sinfield.
Calls have mounted for the fundraising legend, who has generated more than £8million for motor-neurone disease charities in honour of his best pal Rob Burrows, to become a Sir.
Former teammates of the star have backed calls for him to be knighted.
But bureaucracy could block the move because former Leeds Rhinos loose forward Kevin, 42, was given an OBE last year.
Rules mean he could have to wait another four years before receiving a higher accolade.
Ex-Leeds Rhinos star Jamie Peacock, who captained Great Britain and England in Tests, told the Mirror: “I would love Kev to be awarded a Sir - he more than deserves it given everything he has put himself through and what he’s managed to do to raise money for MND, raise awareness and set it on the course to perhaps getting closer to finding a cure.
“Let’s get rid of the protocol and move his nickname from ‘Sir Kev’ to the real ‘Sir Kev’.
“I don’t understand why that’s in place, it seems a bit strange - if you do a great achievement why do you have to wait four or five years to recognise it?”
The row comes as excitement builds for the King’s first official birthday honours, due to be announced on June 17.
The Mirror has been told some civil servants in the Cabinet Office, who have watched Sinfield’s ultra-marathons and believe he should become a Sir, are “disappointed” and “frustrated” at red-tape holding up a knighthood.
A source told the Mirror: “People are really p***** off about it, they’ve seen what he’s done and they want him to be rewarded.”
Officials in the Levelling-Up Department are also said to be unhappy, believing the blockage could be a “levelling-up issue”.
They point to accolades for well-paid rugby union stars, with the 15-man code generally more popular down South compared with the 13-player version predominantly played up North.
Some believe knighting Sinfield would be a visible sign of levelling-up; while he is now defence coach of England’s rugby union team, he is still heavily associated with rugby league.
He won new fans last month when he stopped short of the finish at the inaugural Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon to carry his friend and former Leeds, England and Great Britain teammate over the line - an image which went around the world and left many in tears.
Rob, 40, was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in 2019 - triggering a mammoth fundraising effort by his best mate.
Sinfield ran seven back-to-back ultra marathons in November.
In late 2020, he completed seven marathons in seven days and in 2021 he ran 101 miles in 24 hours.
More than 44,000 people have signed an online change.org petition demanding a knighthood for Sinfield, who also coached Leicester Tigers RFC.
Lib Dem culture spokesman Jamie Stone said: "Kevin Sinfield represents the best of this country and is well-deserving of a knighthood.
“Protocol needs to go out the window on this one and Kevin's knighthood accelerated.
"It would be a major boost for his heroic fundraising efforts if he could be Knighted this year."
Rob’s dad Geoff Burrow told The Times last month: "I believe he does deserve a knighthood.
"The fundraising he has done has already made a tremendous difference to the research and we really need to find a cure. I do feel we are close."
The Cabinet Office declined to comment.
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