Pulled together by tartan: Rory’s unforgettable day at Braemar

When Highland Games competitor Rory Mathieson put on his kilt in Doddie Weir’s tartan to compete at this year’s Braemar Gathering, he didn’t expect to end the day on our tug of war team - but that’s exactly what happened.

We were proud to be the official charity partner of this year’s Braemar Gathering on 6 September, and fielded a team in the tug of war competition with Doddie’s sons Ben and Angus, Rob Wainwright, Mark Beaumont and Allan Jacobsen (Chunk) all taking part.

Amongst the crowd was Kathy Weir, there to cheer on her sons, the rest of the team and the other Highland Games competitors. When she spotted Rory competing in the unmistakable blue and yellow of Doddie’s tartan, she stopped to introduce herself and invited him to join the Foundation’s team.

“I couldn’t believe it!” Rory said, “It was a privilege to meet Kathy as I’ve always found her inspirational, so even if we had just had a chat I would have been delighted. To then be asked if I would be willing to pull in the tug of war, it was a no brainer on my part.”

"It was also a huge honour to meet Angus and Ben, along with the rest of the legends in the team. Honourable mention to Chunk - as he was my rugby hero growing up!"

Rory, who has been competing in the Grampian Highland Games circuit for four years now, didn’t hesitate to join the team at such short notice: “Braemar Gathering always has a really good crowd that gets behind competitors and can give you that extra boost when you need it,” he explained, “that was certainly the case during the tug of war, when all your muscles are screaming at you to give up, the roar from the crowd keeps you pulling!”

For Rory, wearing Doddie’s tartan is about so much more than just giving a nod to Scottish tradition: “I have always loved the tartan, I think it’s really striking and the story behind it resonated with me. The moment that pushed me into trying to get a kilt made was watching the ‘Doddie Weir: One More Try’ documentary. The whole family were so upbeat and positive against all the odds, it was a truly inspirational watch.”

And everywhere Rory goes, his kilt sparks conversation.

Wearing the kilt to compete at the Highland Games has become Rory’s way of supporting My Name’5 Doddie Foundation - a means to champion a cause he believes in and its community: “Being a heavies competitor at the Highland Games I have the luxury that there’s always a lot of eyes on the field, so it seemed the perfect way to promote the Foundation,” he said. “I’ve felt a part of the Doddie community for the last few years, the Foundation was really helpful when I first enquired about getting a Doddie kilt, and I got a lovely letter from Emma Syme [the Foundation’s Fundraising Administrator] after I donated a portion of my Highland Games winnings in 2023.”

Rory’s message to anyone thinking of supporting My Name’5 Doddie Foundation in their own way, however that looks to them, is simple: “I would implore anyone and everyone to get involved. It’s a great community and an even better cause. Just wearing the tartan or buying some merchandise supports the cause!”

To find out more on how you can support My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, click here.