An England rugby great and former Bracknell Rugby Club youngster will make a poignant return to the club later this month.
Lewis Moody MBE is undertaking an epic 500-mile charity cycling challenge raising funds for My Name’5 Doddie Foundation.
Lewis’ sons Dylan and Ethan, and his wife Annie, will also join parts of the challenge.
The full route and rider line-up for the Lewis Moody XV Ride, sponsored by Gallagher, has been revealed with rugby legends including Martin Johnson, Jonny Wilkinson, Jason Robinson, Phil Vickery, Martin Corry and Tom Croft all set to take part across different stages of the ride.
The challenge begins on Sunday, June 14, at Newcastle Red Bulls – Doddie’s former club – before travelling through Ripon, Worksop, Oakham, Leicester, Worcester, Gloucester, Bath and Bracknell.
On Saturday, June 20, they will arrive at Allianz Twickenham to deliver the match ball ahead of the Gallagher Prem final.
Among those riding the full route alongside Lewis are Kenny Logan; ex-Ireland and British and Irish Lion, and Lewis’s former Leicester Tigers teammate Geordan Murphy and adventurer Alan Chambers.
The route has been designed around clubs and communities closely linked to Lewis’ rugby journey, including Leicester Tigers, where he won seven Premiership titles and two European Cups, Bath Rugby, where he finished his playing career, and Bracknell, where he first played mini rugby as a child.
Ascot-born Lewis said the challenge would also celebrate the friendships forged through rugby:
He said: “When you get diagnosed with something like MND, you very quickly realise how important people are.
“This ride is about mates coming together, communities coming together, and hopefully showing people living with MND that they are not alone.
“To have former teammates and friends riding alongside me means more than I can put into words. We’ve shared huge moments together in rugby, but this feels bigger than sport.
“This disease affects families everywhere and we need people to rally behind the MND community in the same way rugby people always rally behind each other.
“If people can donate, come out and support us along the route, or simply help spread the word, it genuinely makes a difference. We want this to engage people nationally or even globally, driven by the rugby community but also reaching far beyond.”
Lewis will be in Bracknell and the end of his 89-mile ride from Bath on June 19, before starting from the club on June 20.
With a personality as vibrant as his iconic tartan suits, Doddie Weir OBE was one of rugby’s most recognisable and beloved names.
Earning 61 caps for Scotland, he represented the British and Irish Lions on their iconic 1997 tour of South Africa. Whether winning championships with Melrose, Newcastle, or Scotland, Doddie did everything with infectious charisma.
Much more than his trophy cabinet, Doddie was a character larger than life. And anyone who knew him will have a story about the first time they met.
In June 2017, Doddie announced his motor neuron disease (MND) diagnosis.
He passed away in 2022.
For more on the ride, and to donate, visit www.lewismoodyxv-cyclechallenge.com.
