The late Doddie Weir’s wife and son will join former England captain Lewis Moody on his 500-mile charity cycle challenge to raise funds for MND research
Scottish legend Doddie Weir’s nearest and dearest will join Lewis Moody on his 500-mile charity cycle challenge to raise funds for MND research.
Wife Kathy and oldest son Hamish Weir will ride alongside Moody and his family, Annie, Dylan and Ethan Moody, along with a galaxy of rugby stars, during the Lewis Moody XV Ride sponsored by Gallagher. The seven-day challenge starts from Newcastle and ends at Twickenham ahead of the Gallagher PREM final on Saturday 20 June.
To donate, see lewismoodyxv-cyclechallenge.com
Former England captain Moody, who revealed his MND diagnosis last year, said having Weir’s family alongside his own would be “incredibly powerful” and symbolised “carrying the baton forward” in the fight against the disease.
Doddie Weir’s sons Hamish (left) and Ben with his wife Kathy. Hamish and Kathy are joining the ride
Among former players taking part across different stages of the ride are Martin Johnson, Jonny Wilkinson, Jason Robinson, Phil Vickery, Martin Corry and Tom Croft.
The challenge begins on Sunday 14 June at Newcastle Red Bulls – Weir’s former club and where Moody won his first league title with Leicester Tigers – before travelling through Ripon, Worksop, Oakham, Leicester, Worcester, Gloucester, Bath and Bracknell. The riders will arrive at Allianz Stadium on 20 June to deliver the match ball ahead of the PREM final.
Among those riding the full route alongside Moody are Kenny Logan, a fellow MND campaigner and close friend of Weir; former Tigers team-mate and Ireland full-back Geordan Murphy; and adventurer Alan Chambers.
Doddie Weir died from MND in 2022 at the age of 52. For Moody, the involvement of Kathy and Hamish Weir carries particular emotional significance – especially as his own family will also be along for the ride.
“Having Kathy and Hamish with us feels incredibly poignant and powerful,” he said. “Doddie did so much to change the conversation around MND, and in many ways this ride feels like continuing something he started.
“There’s a real sense of carrying the baton forward. Doddie inspired people because he faced this disease head on with unbelievable courage, humour and determination. I think all of us involved in the ride feel a responsibility to keep pushing that fight forward.
The route takes in Moody’s former pro clubs Leicester and Bath, and Bracknell, where he played as a mini
“I couldn’t be doing this without my own family too. Annie, Dylan and Ethan have been so incredibly strong for me. This ride is about raising money, of course, but it’s also about showing the MND community that we’re still fighting, still driving awareness and still refusing to accept that this disease cannot be beaten.”
One of the most emotional moments of the ride will come on day three when Moody returns to Oakham School in Rutland, where he boarded as a teenager before going on to help England to Rugby World Cup glory in 2003.
“It’s not a set of circumstances I ever imagined returning to Oakham under, but it feels incredibly important to me that the ride passes through places and communities that shaped my life. Oakham played a huge part in who I became, not just as a rugby player but as a person. To go back there now, surrounded by old team-mates, teachers, friends and the next generation coming through, will be hugely emotional.”
The route has been designed around clubs and communities closely linked to Moody’s rugby journey, including Leicester Tigers, where he won seven Premiership titles and two European Cups, Bath, where he finished his playing career, and Bracknell RFC, where he first played mini rugby as a child.
Moody in action for England during their 2007 World Cup quarter-final win over Australia (Getty Images)
Moody said the challenge would also celebrate the friendships forged through rugby.
“When you get diagnosed with something like MND, you very quickly realise how important people are,” he said. “This ride is about mates coming together, communities coming together, and hopefully showing people living with MND that they are not alone.
“To have former team-mates and friends riding alongside me means more than I can put into words. We’ve shared huge moments together in rugby but this feels bigger than sport.
“This disease affects families everywhere and we need people to rally behind the MND community in the same way rugby people always rally behind each other.
“If people can donate, come out and support us along the route, or simply help spread the word, it genuinely makes a difference. We want this to engage people nationally or even globally, driven by the rugby community but also reaching far beyond.”
Moody with Annie and Ethan, who will also be in the saddle
The ride forms part of Moody’s support for My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, established by Weir following his own MND diagnosis in 2017. Since then, the charity has committed more than £23.5m to research into effective treatments and a cure for the disease.
Paul Thompson, Director of Fundraising at My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, said: “Lewis has already inspired so many people through the way he has approached his diagnosis. This challenge is another example of that courage and leadership.
“This is about much more than rugby. It’s about friendship, family, resilience and communities coming together behind a common cause. Every mile ridden and every pound raised will help us continue accelerating research towards effective treatments and, ultimately, a cure for MND.”
Other former England internationals and rugby stars joining the Lewis Moody ride include Ben Kay, Joe Worsley, Danny Care, Ben Youngs, Dan Hipkiss, Julian White, Louis Deacon, Lee Mears and Andy Gomarsall. Many of the riders played alongside Moody at Leicester, while others were part of England’s 2003 Rugby World Cup-winning squad.
The ride is also being supported by a range of corporate partners and sponsors including Gallagher Insurance, Y.CO, Switch Car Rental, Britt Security Supplies, Castore, Optimum Nutrition and TNT Sports.
Lewis Moody and Friends Ride route:
- Sunday 14 June: Newcastle Red Bulls to Ripon
- Monday 15 June: Ripon to Worksop
- Tuesday 16 June: Worksop to Oakham School to Leicester Tigers
- Wednesday 17 June: Leicester Tigers to Worcester Warriors
- Thursday 18 June: Worcester Warriors to Bath Rugby
- Friday 19 June: Bath Rugby to Bracknell RFC
- Saturday 20 June: Bracknell RFC to Allianz Stadium, Twickenham
To donate, see lewismoodyxv-cyclechallenge.com
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