The Prince and Princess of Wales have joined tributes to "hero" Doddie Weir. The former Scotland rugby international has died aged 52 after suffering from motor neurone disease (MND).
His family announced his death in a statement issued via the Scottish Rugby Union on Saturday. They called him an "inspirational force of nature".
Weir was diagnosed with MND in December 2016. Five years ago he founded the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation (MNDF), which has now committed almost £8 million to research projects across the UK.
A tweet personally written by William and Kate read: “Doddie Weir was a hero – we are so sad to hear of his passing. His immense talent on the pitch as well as his tireless efforts to raise awareness of MND were an inspiration.
"Our thoughts are with all those who loved him. He will be hugely missed across the entire rugby world. W&C."
Former rugby union player Mike Tindall will be “very sad” about Doddie Weir’s death, the team running his Twitter account said. Tindall is in the Australian jungle for the latest series of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! but Weir is “someone who meant a lot to him”.
“We know Mike will be very sad about the passing of Doddie Weir. Someone who meant a lot to him,” they wrote. "On behalf of us all we would like to pass on our condolences to the Weir family."
Writer Ian Rankin tweeted: “Hellish news. He did so much to raise awareness of MND – and also raised a lot of money for charity after his diagnosis. Rest easy, Big Man."
The Princess Royal, patron of MND Scotland, said: “What a sad day. Doddie Weir will be greatly missed. He was truly larger than life, determined, generous and humble. He transformed people’s understanding of MND and funding for research.
“I am so grateful to him and his family for their unselfishness in sharing their experiences. My thoughts and prayers go out to all of his family."
