Kenny Logan to lead a 555-mile cycle challenge around Ireland to raise £500,000 for MND research

14 April 2025

Scottish rugby legend Kenny Logan says ‘Doddie would want us to push harder and further’ in pursuit of a cure for motor neuron disease (MND) as he prepares to lead a 555-mile cycling challenge around Ireland in memory of his friend and former teammate, Doddie Weir OBE.

Logan will be joined by Doddie’s son, Hamish Weir, and more than 50 fundraisers, celebrities and former players on Doddie’s Lions Challenge – a week-long endurance ride inspired by the camaraderie and iconic spirit of a British & Irish Lions tour. The event aims to raise over £500,000 for My Name’5 Doddie Foundation and the Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association.

Among the famous names saddling up are Scottish football legend Ally McCoist, broadcaster Gabby Logan, and Battlestar Galactica actor Jamie Bamber. This year’s group also includes new riders like former Wasps prop Will Green, who was inspired by Kenny’s previous fundraising efforts and signed up straight away. Former Ireland A international and Harlequins star Mel Deane, and rugby podcaster Archie Curzon will also join.

The team will cycle approximately 100 miles a day across some of Ireland’s most scenic and historic rugby heartlands. Stops will include origin clubs of famous Irish Lions players, with the challenge concluding at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, where the team will deliver the match ball ahead of the British & Irish Lions match versus Argentina on Friday, June 20 for the 1888 Cup. 

This marks Kenny Logan’s second major fundraiser for MND research, following 2023’s Rugby World Cup Challenge from Edinburgh to Paris, which raised almost £1 million for MND research. While 2023’s effort combined walking and cycling, this year’s event will be on two wheels throughout, taking on Ireland’s famously rugged terrain.

Logan, who lost close friend Weir to motor neuron disease in 2022, said: “We’re not walking this time – I hated that part! We’re doing it to raise money, yes – but more than that, we’re doing it to give hope to people living with MND. Hope that we’re getting closer to a cure.

“Since Doddie died, awareness has grown massively, but fundraising remains pivotal to maintain momentum. The Foundation has now committed nearly £20 million to MND research – which is fantastic, but it’s only the beginning. Doddie would be proud – but he’d also be telling us to go further, faster. Until there’s a cure, we keep going. That’s what he would want, and it’s what we owe him.”

Emotional moments are expected along the route, with powerful personal stories among the team – many of whom have direct connection to the MND community. 

Recalling a particularly poignant moment from the 2023 challenge, Kenny said: “We came down a hill in France, above the clouds, and this yellow and blue balloon just appeared out of nowhere. I thought someone had arranged it – they hadn’t. It was one of those moments where you felt like Doddie was with us.

“It’s about hardship, yes, but more than that it’s about the people. We started as strangers, but by the end we were teammates. That’s what the Lions are all about – and it’s what Doddie was all about too.”

The challenge is backed by a host of sponsors, including headline sponsors, MEDITE SMARTPLY, Arnold Clark and Leo Group. With Ford, Switch Car Rental, Highland Spring, DAF and Ocean Outdoor all on board and supporting to make the challenge possible, all funds raised will support My Name’5 Doddie Foundation’s mission to find effective treatments – and one day a cure – for motor neuron disease.

Paul Thompson, Director of Fundraising at My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, said: “We’re immensely proud to have committed almost £20 million to research, but there’s still a long way to go. The only way we can invest in more research is through fundraising.

“Kenny’s drive and his ability to bring people together – from all corners of the MND community and beyond – is incredible. The money raised by this challenge will make a real difference in our pursuit of effective treatments and, ultimately, a cure for MND. We’d love everybody to get behind it.” 

Earlier this year, the Foundation made its biggest single investment to date, committing £4 million to four pioneering MND research projects through its Discovery Network. The investment forms part of the charity’s bold Catalysing a Cure strategy, which aims to accelerate scientific breakthroughs in the search for a cure.

To support Doddie’s Lions Challenge, click here.