SCOTTISH rugby legend Doddie Weir is to visit Northern Ireland in April for a gala dinner organised by a former team mate to raise vital funds for his charity to carry out research into motor neurone disease.
Weir, who earned 61 caps for Scotland and represented the British and Irish Lions in 1997 and is battling the condition which affects the brain and nerves, set up the `My Name’5 Doddie Foundation' just over two years ago.
He has already raised more than £5 million and was presented with the Helen Rollason Award at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards in December.
Fellow Scotsman Stuart Thom, who played at Melrose Rugby Club with Weir and now lives in Belfast, raised more than £50,000 for the charity through events held in 2018 and 2019 and is hoping to raise another £50,000 this year.
The gala dinner at the Culloden Hotel on April 16 which Doddie plans to attend, along with around 400 guests, is part of this year's effort.
Mr Thom is also organising the 11-day Great Rugby Cycle around Ireland - taking in the island's most northerly, westerly, southerly and easterly points - which former rugby players Nigel Carr, Bryan Redpath, Ollie Phillips, Iwan Tukalo and Simon Danielli, as well as former Miss Northern Ireland Tiffany Brien are aiming to complete.
A sporting legends golf event will take place on the same day as the dinner which will feature top names including brothers Scott and Gavin Hastings, Andrew Trimble, Iain Dowie, Austin Healey, Lee Mears and Paul Marshall.
Mr Thom said he has been friends with Weir since playing rugby with him in the Scottish Borders in the 1990s.
"No-one can fail to be moved by his fight with MND and the heroic way that he has turned his focus to raising as much money as possible to help find a cure.
"The rugby `family' is strong and I’m delighted that we have support from big names like former British Lion Martin Bayfield, who will be MC at the gala, joining Doddie and some of their old friends and faces from their time together in rugby.
"It’s not just about the famous people taking part. We have also had lots of support from people whose lives have been touched by the disease or are just keen to help with a worthy cause and we really appreciate that generosity."
