Oldham’s ‘Sir Kev’ gets BBC honour

RUNNER-UP . . . rugby star Kevin Sinfield with winner Andy Murray and third-placed Jessica Ennis-Hill

WHAT a way to round off a brilliant rugby league career for Oldhamer Kevin Sinfield.

The 35 year old was runner-up in the BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards for 2015 as tennis star Andy Murray carried off the famous trophy for a second time in three years.

Sinfield polled 278,353 public votes, finishing ahead of gold medal-winning athlete Jessica Ennis-Hill and world heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury.

Rugby league clubs, players and fans had got behind their man — the first player from the sport to be nominated — since he was unveiled as one of the 12 finalists earlier in the month.

Sinfield, the most decorated player of his generation, captained Leeds Rhinos to the historic treble in 2015 of League Leaders’ Shield, Challenge Cup and Super League Grand Final.

After receiving his award in front of 7,500 people at the SSE Arena in Belfast, Sinfield concentrated his thoughts on the impact he hopes the award will have on the sport.

Sinfield said: “Fans are tribal, but for them to come together as they must have is unbelievable and massive for the sport. I think rugby league is the winner.”

Waterhead was where it all began for the then seven-year-old, and their chairman Mick Slicker says Sinfield deserves is place among the best sportsmen and women in Britain.

He said: “From the rugby league family at Waterhead, our boy’s done good. We’re all chuffed to bits for him.

“Kevin is such an athlete and a special person, who makes things happen. When the pressure is on, he is able to make the right decisions — at the highest level. That puts him in an elite group.

“He is a nice guy, a humble guy, and we’re delighted to be associated with him.

The votes cast (total 1,009,498) were —

1, Andy Murray 361,446; 2, Kevin Sinfield 278,353; 3, Jessica Ennis-Hill 79,898; 4, Tyson Fury 72,330; 5, Lewis Hamilton 48,379; 6, Chris Froome 39,007; 7, Mo Farah 31,311; 8, Max Whitlock 25,952; 9, Greg Rutherford 23,492; 10, Lizzie Armistead 22,356; 11, Adam Peaty 13,738; 12, Lucy Bronze 13,236.