Doddie Weir dies, old 52, shortly after battle with Motor Neurone Disease

Doddie Weir dies, old 52, shortly after battle with Motor Neurone Disease

Because the their diagnosis, previous Scotland and you can Lions secure battled tirelessly for better browse to the MND – hence their loved ones possess vowed in order to honor

Previous Scotland legend and Telegraph Sport columnist Doddie Weir OBE have died at age of 52 shortly after a virtually half dozen-seasons battle with Engine Neurone Condition.

Just like the their prognosis inside the 2016, Weir battled tirelessly for higher look and you will financing to the neurodegenerative condition, raising millions because of their own foundation, My Name’5 Doddie Base; brand new ‘5’ a note of the previous lock’s well-known Scotland jersey.

Weir’s profits and you will solution was indeed consecrated for the past couples years; Scotland and Wales today contend toward Doddie Weir Cup – also inside their Half a dozen Nations conferences – since the previous lock comes with their own entry to your Scottish Sign in away from Tartans.

More than a good glittering occupation and that peaked to your 1997 Lions trip to South Africa, Weir acquired 61 caps to possess Scotland from the second row and you will won the fresh new Premiership which have Newcastle Falcons from inside the 1998. Just after their amount of time in the fresh new North-east, Weir moved back into his homeland, and come up with nearly 100 looks to own Border Reivers between 2002 and 2005 just before their later years, where the guy properly transitioned to your once-food talking.

After his 2017 diagnosis, Weir is actually appointed a police of Acquisition of British Empire about 2019 New-year Prizes getting services to help you rugby, in order to engine neurone disease research and the city about Scottish Limits.

You to exact same year Weir are revealed just like the individual of your own yearly Helen Rollason Award, displayed during the BBC’s Recreations Character of the year honours reveal.

The audience is lucky to possess shared our life with him and you can i enjoy every one of these memories: his like and you will enthusiasm, their assistance and you can guidance, his short laughter, and his awesome awful laughs

Brand new Scotland lock is picked by-fellow Scot and you can Telegraph Athletics columnist Sir Ian McGeechan so you can concert tour Southern Africa into the Lions for the 1997. If you are Weir’s trip concluded too rapidly on account of burns, his exchange that have broadcaster John Taylor inside Lions’ news studies has gone off in the tour folklore. When requested his response to an effective hypothetical matter regarding being stuck inside the a dance club following tour’s curfew, this new 6ft 6ins Weir merely answered: “Mistaken name.”

Weir, born for the Edinburgh and you may experienced at Daniel Stewart’s and you can Melville School in the Scottish capital, generated a reputation to own himself because the a sports range-out forward and you will a working reduce user. Before transferring to Newcastle, Weir acquired six Scottish titles that have Melrose RFC regarding Borders.

Weir was lasted by their partner, Kathy, and you may around three pupils, Hamish, Angus and Ben. Simply two weeks before, flanked by the his four friends, a good wheelchair-bound Weir introduced the latest fits golf ball on the Murrayfield mountain ahead of the Fall Decide to try anywhere between Scotland and also the All the Blacks.

An announcement on Weir family unit members finalized out of of the Doddie’s wife, Kathy, read: “It’s having higher sadness we mention the brand new death of all of our dear partner and dad, Doddie

“Doddie are a motivational push regarding nature. His unending times and you can drive, and his awesome strength out of character powered him as a result of their football and team careers and, we believe, allowed him to combat the consequences regarding MND for unnecessary years.

“Doddie place the same times pop over to the web-site and much more like and you may enjoyable into the our life with her: he had been a true friends child. If or not collaborating to your farm, on vacation, or remembering hours that have broad friends, Doddie try constantly on heavy of it. It is hard to get into the conditions exactly how much we’re going to miss your.