FOUR rugby league stalwarts have been awarded OBEs and MBEs in the King’s New Year’s Honours List, but there was yet again the glaring omission of Leeds Rhinos hero Kevin Sinfield.
Huddersfield Giants owner and chairman Ken Davy has been awarded the OBE for his services to Community Rugby League, and the long-serving match official Tony Martin receives the same award for his services to Rugby League.
Meanwhile, Paul Caddick, who has presided over one of the most successful eras in the history of Leeds Rhinos since taking ownership of the club in 1996, has been awarded the MBE for services to sport, and the former England captain Andrea Dobson, now Development Manager of the Sheffield Eagles Foundation, also receives the MBE for her services to Rugby League.
However, there was no place for Sinfield – who already has a CBE to his name – despite his incredibly exploits yet again to raise awareness and funds for Motor Neurone Disease.
Earlier this month Sinfield ran over 230 miles in seven days across seven regions of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
That was Sinfield’s fifth annual challenge for the MND community having raised nearly £10 million in the first four events.
That challenge also saw the return of the Extra Mile events from last year’s 7 in 7 in 7 Challenge when members of the MND community joined Sinfield and the team to complete their own mile.
However, the clamouring for the 44-year-old to be given a knighthood has been overlooked once more as rugby league fans took to social media to express their disappointment with the news.
That being said, there is one major reason as to why that is the case – honours can only be given every three years, so 2027 may well be the year that Sinfield is knighted after receiving an OBE in 2021 and then a CBE earlier this year.
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