Scottish Schools Rugby Squad of '88 Hits £88,000 Fundraising Target for My Name'5 Doddie Foundation
13 November 2023
13 November 2023
The Scottish Schools rugby touring squad of New Zealand in 1988 came together in March of this year, some 35 years after the tour, to take on a cycling and walking adventure under the moniker of the “Doddie88 Challenge”. The objective was to raise funds for MND and particularly the “My Name’5 Doddie” Foundation – the target for which was £88,000.
On the first day, Thursday 16 March the group of 22 former players (plus the original coaching staff) set off on the 65km cycle from the Scotland and England border, headed to Melrose after taking in a challenging route via Bonchester Bridge, Ancrum and Scott’s View. The following day the group then walked 23km from Carlops in the Pentland Hills, via Balerno, the Water of Leith to Doddie’s statue at BT Murrayfield later that afternoon, the eve of the Scotland v Italy game.
Most of the members of the ’88 squad came together travelling from France, Singapore, Gibraltar, Australia, and Canada to show respect to Doddie’s memory and achievements, but also to catch up with old friends. On match day the group were kindly given access by the SRU to do a pitch-side walk by at half time in front of a rapturous crowd - which was a nice touch.
Following the match (which Scotland thankfully won!) the fund raising had reached £42,000 which was incredible considering the whole project was only conceived in early January of this year. The fact was, despite 800 kind donors helping Doddie88 get to this sizeable figure, it was still only halfway to the ambitious target figure of £88,000.
On the week of the 6thth My Name’5 Doddie Foundation Anniversary Awards Dinner at Prestonfield House Hotel, in Edinburgh, Max Adam, one of the original ’88 tourists says, “On behalf of all the guys that came together for the fund raising event earlier in the year, I am delighted to say that we have finally managed to hit our £88,000 target. To those generous people and organisations that supported us, we salute you and thank you most sincerely, not only for your money, but also the kind words of support and encouragement businesses, the media and private individuals gave us”.
With Thanks:
The group would like to give thanks to the businesses that have supported Doddie88 from generously providing help with food and drink, accommodation, logistics and wellbeing: The Scottish Rugby Union, Burts Hotel - Melrose, Cycle Scotland, Cooks Van Hire, Dilly Spirits, The Ancrum Cross Keys, Sandy Thoms Massage Therapy, Melrose RFC, Tweed Chripractic Clinic, Maid by Marion.
The Scottish Schools touring squad of New Zealand 1988:
Doddie Weir (Stewarts Melville), Gary Kenhard, Captain (Harris Academy), Stuart Paul (George Heriot’s), Dan Pulfrey(Morrisons Academy), Barnaby White (Golspie High School), Jeremy Jowett, Graeme Walsingham, Nick White and Andy Hay (all Merchiston Castle), Russell Adam, Andy Ness, Karl Squires and Gary Sisman* (all Dollar Academy), Scott Aitken, Steve Brotherstone, Richard Brown and Graham Shiel (all Earlston High School), Max Adam and Kris Boon (both Strathallan), Andy Nicol and Geordie McGill (Dundee High School), Bruce Thomson and Scott Nicol(both Selkirk High School), Rory Dixon and Douglas Archibald (both Berwickshire High School) and Ritchie Gray(Galashiels Academy)
After Tour Honors:
Doddie Weir & Andy Nicol represented the British & Irish Lions on the New Zealand, Australia & South Africa tours.
Doddie Weir, Andy Nicol, Scott Nichol, Steve Brothertone and Graham Shiel all played for the full Scotland XV amassing 111 caps between them. Andy Nicol also captained Scotland.