Monday, 01 June 2026
Fundraising, MND stories
Kathy and Hamish will join Lewis Moody on his 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 was revealed today, 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 14 June at Newcastle Red Bulls – Doddie’s former club – before travelling through Ripon, Worksop, Oakham, Leicester, Worcester, Gloucester, Bath and Bracknell. On Saturday 20 June 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.
For Lewis, Kathy and Hamish’s involvement carries particular significance – especially given that his own family will also be part of the experience.
"Having Kathy and Hamish with us feels incredibly poignant and powerful. Doddie did so much to change the conversation around MND, and in many ways this ride feels like continuing something he started."
There’s a real sense of carrying the baton forward. Doddie inspired people because he faced this disease head on with unbelievable courage, humour and determination, and I think all of us involved in the ride feel a responsibility to keep pushing that fight forward.
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 RFC, where he first played mini rugby as a child.
Lewis said the challenge would also celebrate the friendships forged through rugby:
"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.”
The ride forms part of Lewis’ support for the Foundation. Paul Thompson, our Director of Fundraising said: "Lewis has already inspired so many people through the way he has approached his diagnosis, and this challenge is another example of that courage and leadership.
"This is about much more than rugby. It’s about friendship, family, resilience and communities coming together behind a common cause. Every mile ridden and every pound raised will help us continue accelerating research towards effective treatments and, ultimately, a cure for MND."
We are grateful to the ride’s corporate partners and sponsors from across rugby and business including:
For more on the ride, and to donate, visit lewismoodyxv-cyclechallenge.com.
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