Sinfield shows he’s in a class of his own
THERE are an elite group of impressive men involved in English rugby and then there is Kevin Sinfield, the former Great Britain superstar now Leicester's defence coach.
The impressive stuff is not limited to his 521 matches for Leeds Rhinos, neither to his seven marathons in seven days raising seven-figure sums for Motor Neurone Disease on behalf of his stricken team-mate Rob Burrow, nor running 100 and a bit miles from Leicester to Leeds in 24 hours for the same charity.
Famous people have done famous things without being renowned for their humanity or humility. Sinfield, as his recent appearance on Desert Island Discs testifies, has both in spades. He is also smart when it comes to the psychology of leadership and the hazardous business of selecting the right place for a team to stay.
“You put them in a 5-star hotel and they'll be in dressing gown and slippers like they're on holiday,'' Sinfield told presenter Lauren Laverne. “You put them in a 3-star and they'll be moaning. So it's understanding where to put them. A 4-star? No dressing gowns but nice biscuits and a coffee maker.”
