A former teammate of Doddie Weir has promised to keep the hero's fundraising legacy alive following his death from Motor Neurone Disease (MND) last month.
Rob Wainwright, who captained Weir with Scotland and also toured with his great friend with the 1997 British and Irish Lions, founded Doddie Aid three years ago. The charity has since raised around £2 million for the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation.
The foundation was started by Weir, 52, shortly after his harrowing diagnosis in 2017. In the five years that have followed, it has contributed more than £8 million into MND research. On Monday, a memorial to honour the former second row is set to take place at Melrose Parish Church.
“He was an extremely warm character, wonderfully friendly, with the perfect blend of humour and compassion,” said Wainwright, via STV News. “He was just a really good people person, with a really attractive personality that people loved, and he was very giving of his time.
“There was a lot that happened behind the scenes. Doddie was introduced to people who had just been diagnosed with MND. He was able to give them guidance and he in turn got guidance from other people."
And Wainwright, who won 37 caps for Scotland, added there was still ample work to be done in the fight against MND: “We have come a long way, but the journey needs to be pushed on," he added. "Doddie was defined not by what he did in his glory days on the rugby field, but by how he coped with his ultimate challenge, how he attacked it and the momentum he created to find solutions for MND.
“There’s lots of people out there with MND. Many of them don’t have the platform that Doddie had, but he had that platform, and he used it. He had an amazing energy and determination to find a solution to this disease and to help others. He’ll keep pushing us on even though he isn’t here."
The 57-year-old pledged the group would keep pushing until there was a 'breakthrough' to help sufferers of MND, and has already organised a mass participation cycling event for early 2023. Hundreds of cyclists will leave from Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on February 9, heading to Murrayfield in Edinburgh.
The 555-mile cycle will be a continuous ride throughout 48 hours, and will raise funds for Doddie Aid. Participants will be able to sign up from January 1.
