Kevin Sinfield joins Leicester Tigers coaching staff
Former England and Leeds rugby league captain Kevin Sinfield will join Leicester’s coaching staff for the 2021-22 season, the Gallagher Premiership club have announced.
Sinfield, who has spent the past three years working as director of rugby at the Rhinos, will take up the post of defence coach.
The 40-year-old won seven Super League titles and two Challenge Cups during an illustrious playing career with Leeds. He also spent one season in rugby union with Yorkshire Carnegie.
Sinfield, who was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for services to rugby league and fundraising, said: “I am really looking forward to this new opportunity in my career and the chance to work with Steve Borthwick, his coaching team and the playing group he is building at Leicester Tigers.
“It is a big challenge, but one that I know I am ready for and – after speaking with Steve – I am looking forward to joining the club at this stage on its journey and getting to work in Leicester.
“I am delighted to be able to join a huge club like Leicester Tigers with such a great history and supporter base.”
Sinfield will take up the role vacated by Mike Ford, who left Welford Road earlier this week.
Tigers head coach Borthwick said: “It is incredible to be welcoming someone of Kevin’s calibre and experience to our club.
“The vast and unique experience that Kevin will bring to our coaching means he is a great addition to our team. He is a serial winner and an inspirational character who possesses the hard-working and tough qualities we want at Leicester Tigers.”
Oldham-born Sinfield spent his entire 18-year rugby league playing career with the Rhinos and left as their record points-scorer in 2015. He also earned 14 caps for Great Britain and 26 for England.
He later had a brief stint in rugby union with Yorkshire Carnegie before taking up a position with the Rugby Football League. He returned to the Rhinos in his current capacity in 2018.
He feels it is now time to move in a different direction after admitting he did not enjoy the administrative elements of his job.
Sinfield said: “This has been one of the hardest decisions of my career. It has been something I’ve agonised over. I probably started reflecting in December and it’s taken me a number of months.
“But (the job) has become very political, a lot of bureaucracy, a lot of red tape, and in and around that has been a difficult 18 months for everyone.
“It has very much changed my role to administration, and not enjoyable administration. It’s become a role where I get no job satisfaction from whatsoever.
“I understand a lot of people out there don’t get satisfaction from their job and I understand I am fortunate I get to choose, but I think it is the right thing for everybody.
“The club is in a stable position and will continue to grow and get better.”
Taking on a more hands-on coaching role is something that appeals to Sinfield and he feels the plight of former team-mate Rob Burrow has helped inform his decision.
Sinfield is close to Burrow, who is now living with motor neurone disease.
“I just feel I am too far away from the rugby, too far away from performance,” said Sinfield, who captured public imagination last December when he raised more than £2million for the MND Association by running seven marathons in seven days.
“I think I have certainly got some perspective from Rob. It has hammered it home to me you have got to do something you truly enjoy and get satisfaction from and that’s where I find myself.”
Sinfield does not expect his move to end his involvement in rugby league.
He said: “My heart and my head will remain firmly in rugby league. The sport has given me everything I’ve got, it’s given me the best memories and friendships I could ever wish for.
“I played the sport since I was seven. It still means everything to me and that will remain.
“There are a number of former players this sport has who don’t work in the sport but continue to be great ambassadors and champion rugby league. I’d love to be one of those.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Lets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
10 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
10 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
35 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
35 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
5 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to comments