Prince and Princess of Wales surprise Kevin Sinfield during MND challenge

The Prince and Princess of Wales surprised Sir Kevin Sinfield at the end of day three of his 7 in 7: The Grand Finale challenge.

William and Catherine greeted Sinfield at DIY Kitchens Stadium in Wakefield, where the rugby league legend concluded his third day of the challenge in support of Motor Neurone Disease (also known as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis or ALS).

Sinfield is taking part in the 7 in 7: The Grand Finale challenge in memory of his teammate Rob Burrow, who died from MND in June 2024 at the age of 41.

Their Royal Highnesses spoke to families affected by MND who the MND Association is supporting. Afterwards, they joined the Burrow family in welcoming Sinfield to the stadium.

Prince William previously presented Burrows and Sinfield with their CBEs during a 2024 meeting at Headingley Stadium. The following year he opened the Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease and learned more about the work of the centre and how it will help families affected by the disease.

Sinfield and his team began the 7 in 7 challenge on 27 September before concluding at Old Trafford ahead of the Super League Grand Final on 3 October.

The Mayo Clinic describes ALS this way: “ALS often begins with muscle twitching and weakness in an arm or leg, trouble swallowing or slurred speech. Eventually, ALS affects control of the muscles needed to move, speak, eat and breathe. There is no cure for this fatal disease.”

Symptoms vary from person to person, with most developing issues in their extremities. However, in its most progressive state, the illness begins where it ends – in the mouth, throat and lungs.

You can learn more about ALS from the Mayo Clinic here.

Royals from across Europe have taken part in events and charitable endeavours to raise awareness for the disease, most recently Princess Ariane of the Netherlands.

A full list of those helping in the fight against ALS can be found here.