Kevin Sinfield dedicates Sports Book Award wins to Rob Burrow

English rugby union coach Kevin Sinfield dedicated his double win at the Sunday Times Sports Book Awards to his “inspirational” friend, the rugby player Rob Burrow, who died this week aged 41.

The awards were presented during an event at the Kia Oval cricket ground in south London this evening (6th June).

Sinfield’s book, The Extra Mile (Century), scooped the awards for Sports Bestseller and Overall Sports Book of the Year at the Sunday Times Sports Book Awards 2024.

The memoir charts Sinfield’s experience as Leeds Rhinos’ defence coach, as well as his work raising £15m with Burrow for motor neurone disease (MND). Sinfield and other Leeds Rhinos players had been fundraising since their scrum half and hooker teammate was diagnosed with MND four and a half years ago.

Speaking four days after Burrow’s death, Sinfield said: “I dedicate these awards to my little mate Rob Burrow – he was the guy that told me I had to write a book and he certainly inspired The Extra Mile. Rob was a very special man. I wish we were both at the awards together tonight and I miss him dearly.”

Last year’s overall winner, English footballer Beth Mead, returned to take Children’s Sports Book of the Year with Roar (Wren & Rook), a guidebook “to encourage all children to excel, both on and off the pitch”. 

Mead said: “Thank you so much for this incredible award. It means so much to me for Roar to be recognised in this way. When working on Roar, my hope was that it would inspire children to find their sport and passion, build their confidence, and achieve their potential – on and off the pitch." 

Broadcaster Chris Kamara was awarded Autobiography of the Year for his memoir, Kammy (Pan Macmillan). Meanwhile Lawrence Dallaglio’s book The Boys of Winter (Bonnier Books), which charts England’s 2003 Rugby World Cup triumph, was chosen as Rugby Book of the Year. 

This is the first year clothing brand Charles Tyrwhitt has sponsored the Sports Book Awards in association with the Sunday Times.

The full list of winners:

Charles Tyrwhitt Sports Book Awards Autobiography of the Year, in association with The Sunday Times
Kammy, Chris Kamara (Pan Macmillan)

Pinsent Masons Sports Writing Award
Concussed, Sam Peters (Allen & Unwin)

Kicking Goat Sports Entertainment Book of the Year
The Tourist, Phil Tufnell with John Woodhouse (HarperCollins)

The Vikki Orvice Women’s Sports Writing Award, in association with DAZN
Other Ways to Win, Lee Craigie (Vertebrate Publishing)

Children’s Sports Book of the Year, supported by National Literacy Trust & Waterstones
Roar, Beth Mead with Matt Oldfield (Wren & Rook)

Francis Clark Financial Planning International Sports Book of the Year
Phil, Alan Shipnuck (Simon & Schuster)

Titan Wealth Football Book of the Year, in association with the Football Writers’ Association
The Match, Piero Trellini (Pitch Publishing)

Charles Tyrwhitt Rugby Book of the Year, in association with the Rugby Union Writers’ Club
The Boys of Winter, Lawrence Dallaglio & Owen Slot (Bonnier Books)

The Heartaches’ Cricket Book of the Year
The Tour, Simon Wilde (Simon & Schuster)

LoveReading Cycling Book of the Year
1923, Ned Boulting (Bloomsbury Sport)

The JP Marland Charitable Trust Illustrated Book of the Year
London Irish: 125 Years of Passion in Exile, Patrick Lennon (Vision Sports Publishing)

Sports Bestseller Award and Overall Sports Book of the Year
The Extra Mile, Kevin Sinfield with Paul Hayward (Century)

Reporting by Matilda Battersby