To raise funds to aid research into the causes of Motor Neurone Disease and investigate potential cures.
To make grants to individuals suffering from MND, to enable them to live as fulfilled a life as possible.
Your support will help Doddie and the Trustees make a difference to the lives of those coping and battling with MND.
Doddie Weir is one of rugby’s most recognizable personalities. He earned 61 caps for Scotland during a successful playing career, represented the British and Irish Lions on their successful tour to South Africa in 1997, and won championships with his two club sides, Melrose and Newcastle Falcons.
A talented, committed and athletic lock forward, Doddie is now facing his biggest challenge.
In June 2017 the Scot revealed he was suffering from Motor Neurone Disease.
From the outset, Doddie has been driven to help fellow sufferers and seek ways to further research into this, as yet, incurable disease.
In November 2017 Doddie and his Trustees launched the registered charity My Name’5 Doddie Foundation.
Its aims are simple:
Doddie wants to help those touched by MND – be it fellow sufferers or their families having to deal with the daily consequences – with basic and practical relief, whether that be to help with mobility and transport needs, with care and respite, or access and basic living requirements.
My attitude is that you should do what you can today and worry about tomorrow when it comes. This is the card I’ve been dealt so I’ve just got to crack on.
Scott is Scotland’s most capped rugby centre three quarter with 65 caps. He played in 51 Internationals with his brother Gavin and they are the only brothers to have played on two British Lions Tours to Australia in 1989 and to New Zealand in 1993. In 2015 he commentated at his 5th Rugby World Cup with ITV having played in the first three RWC tournaments in 1987, 1991 & 1995. Scott continues to commentate for BBC Alba, Sky Sports and with ITV during the Six Nations.. He is married to Jenny. They have two children, Corey and Kerry-Anne. When his is not commentating on rugby he likes running, golf and bog snorkeling!
Finlay Calder OBE won 34 caps for Scotland playing at open side flanker from 1986 to 1991. He captained the British Lions tour to Australia in 1989 and became the first captain in the 20th century to lead his side to a series victory after losing the opening test. He was also the first Scottish captain of the side since 1966. When he gained his first cap in January 1986, his twin brother Jim had already won the last of his 27 caps in March of 1985. He played his last International game for Scotland in the 1991 Rugby World Cup against New Zealand where Scotland finished in 4th place. Finlay spent his career as a grain merchant and now claims he is enjoying a busman’s holiday as Project Manager for Torabhaig Distillery on the Isle of Skye! He has been part of several fund raising ventures including a parachute jump with great friends Derek White and JJ for an orphanage in Romania. He says he won’t be jumping again for Doddie or anyone else…watch this space!
John Jeffrey played 40 times for Scotland as an industrious and robust flanker in an international career that spanned eight seasons from 1984 until 1991. In that time, the Kelso farmer scored 11 tries for his country and was part of the Grand Slam-winning team of 1990 as well as the 1989 British and Irish Lions squad. Since retiring from playing the game, Jeffrey has remained involved in the game, first as a coach and radio commentator and then in administration where he has held committee positions at club, country and latterly at World Rugby level. He is currently chairman of the Rugby Committee as well as chairman of the Laws Review Group and is also a representative of the Scottish Rugby Union on World Rugby Council. John continues to run the family farm near Kelso where he lives with his wife and two daughters and regularly makes it down to Poynder Park to support his old club.
Kathy and Doddie were married in 1997 after he popped the question when they stopped at the Carter Bar, the Borders crossing, after a night out. They have three sons, Hamish, Angus and Ben, and live in the Borders on their farm between Lauder and Melrose. Kathy manages to balance looking after the livestock, her horses, the boys, working with an outside catering company while trying to keep Doddie on the straight and narrow! Kathy hails from Bellingham near Hexham where her family has built a successful drainage company…and while Doddie may say it was the lure of professional rugby that led to his move into North Northumberland, we know better!
Gary Armstrong won 51 caps at scrum-half between 1988 and 1999, played in Scotland’s famous Grand Slam winning team in 1990 and captained Scotland to victory in the 1999 Five Nations and to a quarter final place in the same year's rugby world cup. Armstrong toured with the British and Irish Lions to Australia in 1989, missing out the 1993 Tour to New Zealand with a serious groin injury. He also represented Scotland at the 1991 and 1999 Rugby World Cups. A product of the Jed-Forest club, Armstrong moved to Newcastle Falcons with Doddie when the game turned professional in the 1995/96 season and enjoyed a successful career in the English top flight, and was famously described by his Falcons teammate Jonny Wilkinson as the “Junkyard Dog”. He returned to play with The Borders in 2002 before retiring in 2004.
3rd Apr, 2019
Grand Hyatt Hotel, Hong Kong
The Hong Kong rugby and business communities are once again staging a dinner, billed as The Greatest Rugby Dinner Ever to support My Name'5 Doddie Foundation. It follows the enormous success of last year's star-studded event which raised £300,000.
Following huge demand, the second Doddie Dinner in Hong Kong is now booked in for April 3rd 2019 and is already nearly sold out! It promises to be another amazing night and a great opportunity for the international rugby community to show its commitment to the foundation and its love for Doddie and his family. Here’s to a great night!
Take a look at this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIaz-dGD2w4
For more information and to book your place at The Greatest Rugby Dinner Ever, please contact:
myname5doddiehk@gmail.com
Thanks to Colin Mearns, Ian Rutherford, Jonathon Fowler Photography and Craig Watson for contributions.
