Sport stars pay tribute to late Doddie Weir in birthday video

Rugby stars Kenny Logan and Rob Wainwright and other sporting legends have paid tribute to the late Doddie Weir in a video released on what would have been his 55th birthday.

The video has been created to honour the memory of Weir, and the legacy of the foundation he set up to find effective treatments for motor neurone disease (MND) after he was diagnosed with it in 2016.

Weir founded the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation in 2017, and died in November 2022 aged 52.

Those in the video include Olympic swimming medallist Duncan Scott, Olympic curling medallist Eve Muirhead, broadcaster and ex-footballer Ally McCoist, former England rugby player Mike Tindall and British and Irish Lions fly-half Fin Smith.

Supporters from across the UK will wear Doddie tartan to work on Friday July 4, as part of a tradition marking what would have been the former rugby player’s birthday.

Kenny Logan, who played alongside Doddie as part of the 1999 Five Nations-winning Scotland side, said: “Doddie was a leader in life, and he remains a leader in death.

“His memory inspires thousands of people, both inside and outside of the MND community, to take action and help bring an end to this devastating disease.

“We all know Doddie should still be here with us. He brought light and laughter into every room, even in the darkest days. It’s up to all of us to dig deep, keep fundraising and finish what he started.

“We do it because we miss him. We do it because we love him. And we do it because nobody else should have to go through what he and his family did.”

The My Name’5 Doddie Foundation has now committed almost £20m to targeted research projects and launched a Catalysing A Cure strategy to speed up the search for effective treatments.

Earlier this year it pledged £4m to the MND Discovery Network, a new UK-wide initiative connecting leading scientists to accelerate progress.

The film also features Jennie Starkey, who is living with MND and is part of the Foundation’s Discovery Network board.

The video comes after the end of the Doddie’s Lions Challenge, in which a team led by Logan and including Ally McCoist, Gabby Logan, and Doddie’s widow Kathy, cycled 555 miles around the island of Ireland in five days to deliver the match ball for the British and Irish Lions vs Argentina fixture in Dublin.

The ride has so far raised almost £650,000 for MND research.

My Name’5 Doddie Foundation chief executive Nicola Roseman, said: “Doddie’s spirit continues to galvanise the MND community.

“The outpouring of support and emotion on what would have been his 55th birthday shows just how many lives he touched and how much his story still matters. It also reminds us that there is still work to be done.

“Every birthday that passes without Doddie is another reminder of the urgency of our mission.”

To find out more about My Name’5 Doddie Foundation or to donate, visit the official website.