'He deserves everything': Leeds locals call for 'rule change' to knight Kevin Sinfield

With the likes of Sir Idris Elba and sportspersons Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean earning honours, many in the city are asking why one of the biggest local heroes hasn’t made the list - the one Kevin Sinfield.

The former Rhinos great has raised over £11million for MND charities - more than the entire annual research budget of many national health organisations - including through his incredible ‘ultra-endurance’ 7 in 7 challenges, which doctors say should be impossible for a person his age to repeat annually.

In November 2025, the Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease officially opened at Seacroft Hospital, marking the culmination of a promise Sinfield made to his late teammate.

For many in Leeds, seeing the centre become fully operational this year serves as a daily reminder of a mission fuelled by a unique brand of physical sacrifice.

But because Sinfield was made a CBE in the 2024 New Year’s Honours list, for his services to motor neurone disease awareness, he can’t be knighted until at least this time next year. This is because protocol dictates that an honour cannot be upgraded within three years.

We asked our readers whether they think these rules should be changed.

Comments on the Yorkshire Evening Post Facebook page included Gary Jackson’s remark that “if anyone deserves a knighthood, it's this fellow for what he's done for his friend and charities.”

This sentiment was shared by John Wood, who said: “Yeah, the rules need changing. Kevin has put his body on the line on many occasions in aid of his friend Rob Burrow’s MND Charity.

“They talk about others getting recognition for their work, but Kev has gone above and beyond.”

Others were more sympathetic to the current protocol, which means that we will have to wait a little longer for ‘Sir Kev’ to receive his flowers.

Geoff Hamer wrote: “I agree he deserves every honour and praise, but there are rules on the honours.” Jason Firth simply asked: “Does this really need explaining every time the honours are announced?”

Jane Brown agreed that, despite the wait, “as our dear old queen said, ‘in the fullness of time.’ Kev will be knighted, I am sure, in time.”

What are the rules preventing Kevin Sinfield from being included in the New Year’s Honours list?

The primary obstacle is a strict piece of Cabinet Office protocol known as the ‘Three-Year Rule.’

Under the current British honours system, an individual is generally not allowed to be upgraded to a higher honour until at least three years have passed since their previous award.

Kevin was awarded a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in the 2024 New Year Honours list. Because this was his most recent recognition, the three-year protocol dictates that he technically becomes eligible for a Knighthood in 2027.

While nearly 100,000 people have signed various petitions calling for "Sir Kev" to be recognised, the Government’s Petitions Committee historically rejects these requests.

This is because the honours system is designed to be independent of political or public pressure; the government will only accept individual nominations detailing a person’s service, rather than a mass-signature petition.

The rules can be waived under "exceptional circumstances," a point frequently raised by figures like the Speaker of the House, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, and Leeds North West MP Alex Sobel.

They argue that raising £11million and building a world-class medical centre from scratch should qualify as exceptional. However, for now, the Honours Committee appears to be sticking to the timeline.

For the people of Leeds, while the bureaucracy says 2027, the streets say he’s already earned it.

Do you think that the rule should be waived in Kevin Sinfield’s case under exceptional circumstances for the level of charity work he has accomplished? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page once again, or drop an email to the writer of this article.