Kevin Sinfield
Encyclopedia
Kevin Sinfield is an English
professional rugby league
player. He is the captain of the Leeds Rhinos
in Super League
. His recognised position is /, although he can cover both /, and . He has represented both England
and Great Britain
at international level.
. He signed for Leeds RLFC
in August 1997 and made his first team debut aged 16 against the Sheffield Eagles
. He went on to make three further appearances during the 1997 and 1998 seasons. Scoring his first try against Huddersfield
in September 1998. 1999 was a breakthrough season for Sinfield, making 21 appearances and scoring 2 tries. He was unlucky not to be selected for the 1999 Challenge Cup
Final at the old Wembley Stadium. Leeds defeated the then London Broncos 52–16.
In 2007, Sinfield became the first Leeds player to score in every round of a Super League season, a feat which he repeated in the 2011 season including kicking 6 out of 7 goals in the Rhino's fourth Grand final victory over St Helens in 5 years
Sinfield celebrated his testimonial season in 2008. He was the man-of-the-match, scoring seven points as Leeds defeated Melbourne
11–4 at Elland Road
. During the season Sinfield set a club record by scoring in 63 consecutive matches. He also set a Super League record by scoring in 52 consecutive Super League games. Sinfield scored his 2,000th point for the club as Leeds defeated St Helens for the second successive year in the Grand Final
. Leeds won 24–16, with Sinfield successfully kicking four goals. It was the first time Leeds had ever won back to back titles. It was also the first time that a Super League team had won both the World Club Challenge
and the Grand Final in the same calendar year.
During the 2009 season, Sinfield became only the second player, after Lewis Jones, to score 1,000 goals for Leeds. Sinfield capped the 2009 season by winning the Harry Sunderland Trophy
for his performance as he led Leeds to victory in a third successive Grand Final
. Leeds defeated St Helens 18–10, with Sinfield scoring six of the points, including a drop goal. With victory, Sinfield became the first player in history to captain four championship winning teams. He dedicated the win to the recently deceased former Leeds player John Holmes
. He has now extended that record to captaining five Championship winning teams after Leeds Rhinos' latest victory over St Helens in the 2011 Super League Grand Final
. He is expected to become the all-time top points scorer for the Leeds Rhinos sometime in the 2012 season.
, notably scoring a hat-trick of tries in a 76–4 victory over Russia
.
He was also named in the England squad for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup
. Sinfield was selected to play for England against France in the one-off test in 2010.
Sinfield played a pivotal role in the England team in the 2011 Gillette Four Nations, which has involved games against Australia, New Zealand and Wales. They reached the Gillette Four Nations Final courtesy of coming 2nd in the group table. The Gillette Four Nations Final will be played at Elland Road, Leeds on Saturday, 19th November.
The table below shows a cumulative points and scoring records for Sinfield at the end of the 2011 Super League season.
who currently plays for Rochdale Hornets
as well as being a Scottish International
. He also has a sister who works as a geography teacher at the Bluecoat Church of England School in Oldham, Greater Manchester.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
professional rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
player. He is the captain of the Leeds Rhinos
Leeds Rhinos
Leeds Rhinos is an English professional rugby league football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. The club won the 2011 Super League and became the most successful club in the Super League era, beating St Helens 32-16 on 8th October 2011. Formed in 1890, Leeds competes in Europe's Super League...
in Super League
Super League
Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...
. His recognised position is /, although he can cover both /, and . He has represented both England
England national rugby league team
The England national rugby league team represent England in international rugby league football tournaments. The team has now seen a revival, having largely formed from the Great Britain team, who also represented Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The team is run under the auspices of the Rugby Football...
and Great Britain
Great Britain national rugby league team
The Great Britain national rugby league team represents the United Kingdom in rugby league football. Administered by the Rugby Football League , the team is nicknamed "The Lions" or "Great Britain Lions"....
at international level.
Career
Sinfield began his career at Waterhead ARLFCWaterhead, Greater Manchester
Waterhead , is an area of Oldham, and an electoral ward of the wider Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, in Greater Manchester, England...
. He signed for Leeds RLFC
Leeds Rhinos
Leeds Rhinos is an English professional rugby league football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. The club won the 2011 Super League and became the most successful club in the Super League era, beating St Helens 32-16 on 8th October 2011. Formed in 1890, Leeds competes in Europe's Super League...
in August 1997 and made his first team debut aged 16 against the Sheffield Eagles
Sheffield Eagles
Sheffield Eagles RLFC are an English rugby league club based in the South Yorkshire city of Sheffield. They currently play in the Co-operative Championship. Their home games are played at Bramall Lane after leaving Don Valley Stadium in late 2009....
. He went on to make three further appearances during the 1997 and 1998 seasons. Scoring his first try against Huddersfield
Huddersfield Giants
Huddersfield Giants are a professional rugby league club from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire who play in the European Super League competition. They play their home games at the Galpharm Stadium which is shared with Huddersfield Town F.C....
in September 1998. 1999 was a breakthrough season for Sinfield, making 21 appearances and scoring 2 tries. He was unlucky not to be selected for the 1999 Challenge Cup
Challenge Cup
The Challenge Cup is a knockout cup competition for rugby league clubs organised by the Rugby Football League. Originally it was contested only by British teams but in recent years has been expanded to allow teams from France and Russia to take part....
Final at the old Wembley Stadium. Leeds defeated the then London Broncos 52–16.
In 2007, Sinfield became the first Leeds player to score in every round of a Super League season, a feat which he repeated in the 2011 season including kicking 6 out of 7 goals in the Rhino's fourth Grand final victory over St Helens in 5 years
Sinfield celebrated his testimonial season in 2008. He was the man-of-the-match, scoring seven points as Leeds defeated Melbourne
Melbourne Storm
The Melbourne Storm are an Australian professional rugby league club based in the city of Melbourne. They are the first fully professional rugby league team based in the Australian rules football-dominated state of Victoria....
11–4 at Elland Road
Elland Road
Elland Road is an all-seater football stadium in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It has been the permanent residence of Leeds United A.F.C...
. During the season Sinfield set a club record by scoring in 63 consecutive matches. He also set a Super League record by scoring in 52 consecutive Super League games. Sinfield scored his 2,000th point for the club as Leeds defeated St Helens for the second successive year in the Grand Final
2008 Super League Grand Final
The 2008 Super League Grand Final was held on Saturday 4 October 2008, at Old Trafford, Manchester, UK. The match was between Super League XIII League Leaders St Helens and defending champions from 2007 Leeds Rhinos.-Route to final:...
. Leeds won 24–16, with Sinfield successfully kicking four goals. It was the first time Leeds had ever won back to back titles. It was also the first time that a Super League team had won both the World Club Challenge
World Club Challenge
The World Club Challenge is an annual rugby league football match held between the champions of the Australasian National Rugby League and the European Super League competitions to determine the world's best rugby league club...
and the Grand Final in the same calendar year.
During the 2009 season, Sinfield became only the second player, after Lewis Jones, to score 1,000 goals for Leeds. Sinfield capped the 2009 season by winning the Harry Sunderland Trophy
Harry Sunderland Trophy
The Harry Sunderland Trophy is awarded to the Man-of-the-Match in the Super League Grand Final by the Rugby League Writers' Association. It is named after Harry Sunderland, who was an Australian rugby league football administrator in both Australia and the United Kingdom...
for his performance as he led Leeds to victory in a third successive Grand Final
2009 Super League Grand Final
The 2009 Super League Grand Final was held on Saturday 10 October 2009, at Old Trafford, Manchester, UK. The match was contested by defending champions and 2009 League Leaders Leeds Rhinos, and the team they had faced in the grand final for the past two years, St Helens.The 2009 decider, contested...
. Leeds defeated St Helens 18–10, with Sinfield scoring six of the points, including a drop goal. With victory, Sinfield became the first player in history to captain four championship winning teams. He dedicated the win to the recently deceased former Leeds player John Holmes
John Holmes (rugby league)
John S. Holmes was an English Rugby League World Cup winning footballer of the 1960s, '70s and '80s, who at representative level played for Great Britain, and England, and at club level for Leeds, and Barrow.-International honours:...
. He has now extended that record to captaining five Championship winning teams after Leeds Rhinos' latest victory over St Helens in the 2011 Super League Grand Final
2011 Super League Grand Final
The 2011 Super League Grand Final is the conclusive and championship-deciding game of the Super League XVI season. It will be held on Saturday, 8 October at Manchester, England's Old Trafford stadium. The match was contested by St Helens RFC and the Leeds Rhinos, who last faced each other in a...
. He is expected to become the all-time top points scorer for the Leeds Rhinos sometime in the 2012 season.
International career
Sinfield was a member of the England squad for the World Cup in 20002000 Rugby League World Cup
The 2000 Rugby League World Cup was the twelfth staging of the Rugby League World Cup and was held during October and November of that year in Great Britain, Ireland and France...
, notably scoring a hat-trick of tries in a 76–4 victory over Russia
Russia national rugby league team
-2008 World Cup Qualifying:In 2006 Russia were involved in Europe Round One, defeating Netherlands national rugby league team and Serbia national rugby league team to finish second and keep their World Cup dream alive. They then went through to Europe Round Two in Europe Pool Two with Ireland and...
.
He was also named in the England squad for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup
2008 Rugby League World Cup
The 2008 Rugby League World Cup was the thirteenth staging of the Rugby League World Cup since the inauguration of the tournament in 1954, and the first since the 2000 event...
. Sinfield was selected to play for England against France in the one-off test in 2010.
Sinfield played a pivotal role in the England team in the 2011 Gillette Four Nations, which has involved games against Australia, New Zealand and Wales. They reached the Gillette Four Nations Final courtesy of coming 2nd in the group table. The Gillette Four Nations Final will be played at Elland Road, Leeds on Saturday, 19th November.
Superleague Record
The table below shows a cumulative points and scoring records for Sinfield at the end of the 2011 Super League season.
| Club | Years Active | Appearances | Tries | Goals | DG | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leeds Rhinos Leeds Rhinos Leeds Rhinos is an English professional rugby league football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. The club won the 2011 Super League and became the most successful club in the Super League era, beating St Helens 32-16 on 8th October 2011. Formed in 1890, Leeds competes in Europe's Super League... |
1997–2011 | 244 | 52 | 1092 | 20 | 2412 |
Trivia
Kevin has an elder brother, Ian SinfieldIan Sinfield
Ian Sinfield is a professional rugby league footballer, who at representative level has played for Scotland, and at club level for Swinton Lions.-International honours:Ian Sinfield won three caps in 2004–2006 for Scotland while at Swinton.-External links:*...
who currently plays for Rochdale Hornets
Rochdale Hornets
Rochdale Hornets RLFC is an English professional rugby league club from Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England. They currently play in Championship One...
as well as being a Scottish International
Scotland national rugby league team
The Scotland national rugby league team represent Scotland in international rugby league football tournaments. The team is run under the auspices of the Scotland Rugby League, and are nicknamed The Bravehearts. Scotland are not regarded as a test nation...
. He also has a sister who works as a geography teacher at the Bluecoat Church of England School in Oldham, Greater Manchester.