SCOTLAND rugby legend Kenny Logan is launching a 700-mile cycling and walking endurance event to raise money for the charity set up by his friend Doddie Weir.
As he announced his Rugby World Cup Challenge, the 51-year-old revealed he did not tell his former teammate about his prostate cancer diagnosis – and received “a bollocking” for keeping it from him.
Weir, who played more than 60 matches for Scotland, died in November 2022 after living with MND for six years. It would have been his 53rd birthday today.
Logan and a 20-strong team of celebrities will take on the seven-day endurance challenge, starting from Murrayfield in Edinburgh and heading to the Stade De France, Paris.
They will deliver the match ball ahead of Scotland’s Rugby World Cup clash with Ireland on October 7.
Those taking part include Scottish football great Ally McCoist, actor Jamie Bamber, television presenter Kirsty Gallacher, adventurer Jason Fox, and Logan's wife and television presenter Gabby.
Logan - who played with Weir at two Rugby World Cups in 1995 and 1999 - was diagnosed with prostate cancer in February 2022, only speaking about it publicly in September last year following extensive treatment.
He said he kept his diagnosis from Weir as he “felt guilty” at having treatment options unavailable to his former Scotland teammate.
Logan, who describes himself as “fully recovered” following treatment, said: “When Doddie first told me about his MND diagnosis I got really emotional, and he said ‘hey, it’s me that’s supposed to be upset!’
“I told family and some friends about my cancer, but didn’t feel I could tell Doddie – I felt too guilty. I thought why can my cancer be checked for and removed, and his MND can’t?
“Doddie gave me a bollocking for keeping it a secret.
“Then he asked if I was going to be okay, and that was it.”
He continued: “When you get hit by something like cancer or MND you lose confidence and positivity, but they cracked on and didn’t let it affect them. It was my duty to do the same.
“Doddie was larger than life and that’s why he touched so many people all over the world. He was stubborn, but as soon as he realised he wouldn’t be able to help himself, he dedicated his time to helping others.
“It would’ve been his birthday today, and it seems so unfair that such bad things happen to good people. I think about him all the time. We all miss him.”
The endurance challenge will be gruelling with the team taking on around 100 miles a day.
They hope to raise £555,000 for the foundation.
The announcement of Logan’s Rugby World Cup Challenge arrives as the My Name’s Doddie Foundation issued the first round of grants in their research strategy.
Jessica Lee, director of research at the My Name’s Doddie Foundation, said: “We are committed to funding research that will accelerate the development of new treatments for MND and we are excited to see these projects – which do exactly that – are now under way.”
More information on the challenge is available here.
