HONOURS FOR RUGBY HEROES GIVEN OXEN ULTRA

King awards gongs to teammates whose £9m motor neurone disease campaign moved nation

- Jon Coates

BROTHERS-IN-ARMS Kevin Sinfield and Rob Burrow will be honoured by the King in his New Year's List for their campaigning to help people living with motor neurone disease.

The rugby league greats stole the hearts of the nation when Kevin carried his close friend Rob, who has been battling MND for four years, across the finishing line of a marathon in Leeds earlier this year.

Their unbreakable friendship has seen Rob raise awareness of the brutal terminal condition and inspired Kevin to raise more than £9million through four ultra-endurance challenges.

The announcement of their CBEs will be a victory for the Sunday Express which has campaigned for the former Leeds Rhinos teammates to be honoured for leading the fight against MND.

Father-of-three Rob, 41, was also part of a coalition of patients, charities and scientists that joined forces with the Sunday Express’s Fund The Fight To Cure MND crusade two years ago to secure £50million from the Government to find a cure.

A source close to the Honours Committee has revealed the two titans of English rugby will together join the ranks of His Majesty’s Commanders of the British Empire in the New Year’s Honours List.