Moody pays tribute to pair for MND awareness

FORMER England captain Lewis Moody has paid tribute to the work of Doddie Weir and Rob Burrow in helping raise awareness of motor neurone disease which has given others “genuine hope” for the future.

- JIM VAN WIJK

The 2003 World Cup winner, right, revealed last month he had the incurable muscle-wasting condition which caused the death of fellow rugby players Weir, Burrow and Joost van der Westhuizen.

Kevin Sinfield is hoping Moody can be part of his latest ‘7 in 7: Together’ fundraising challenge to support the MND community in memory of his former Leeds Rhinos teammate Burrow, who died in June 2024.

Moody - nicknamed ‘Mad Dog’ in a career which produced 71 caps, three Tests for the British and Irish Lions as well as multiple domestic and European titles during a golden era for his club Leicester - has been taken aback by the outpouring of support after going public with his diagnosis.

The 47-year-old, though, paid tribute to the bravery of those who have gone before him in documenting their own journey.