‘Sir Kev’ in running for BBC award

TRUE TO HIS ROOTS: Kevin Sinfield is pictured during a return to Waterhead ARLFC.

OLDHAM-born rugby league legend Kevin Sinfield is among the 12 nominees for Sports Personality of the Year 2015.

The BBC award has been won by some of sport’s greatest names — including Bobby Moore, Sir Steve Redgrave and David Beckham. Sinfield will hope to join the elite band on December 20.

The former Waterhead junior spent nearly two decades at Leeds Rhinos and in 2015 became only the fourth rugby league player to pass 4,000 points.

The former England captain finished his Rhinos career on a massive high, helping the club achieve the treble with victory in the Super League Grand Final against Wigan in October. At 35, Sinfield has switched to rugby union to play for Yorkshire Carnegie.

Sinfield, nicknamed “Sir Kev” said: “It’s brilliant to be in the 12, but more importantly, great recognition for rugby league.”

This is Sinfield’s first nomination, while a rugby league player has never featured in the top three of the main award. The player is a 66-1 shot to lift the famous trophy in a star-studded line-up of sportsmen and women that includes recent world heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury, the golden girl of British athletics Jessica Ennis-Hill, three-time world Formula One drivers’ champion Lewis Hamilton and tennis ace Andy Murray.