Former rugby rivals team up in drive to find cure for Motor Neurone Disease

Scotland rugby star Doddie Weir is embarking on a mammoth road trip from Lands End to John O'Groats in a drive to find a cure for Motor Neurone Disease.

It comes just over a year after he revealed he has the incurable condition.

The Greenyards legend, who's been fundraising for research ever since, will be joined at the wheel of a MK1 Mitsubishi Shogun by former on-field rival Richie Gray, who says he's looking forward to the trip.

He said: "I'm just hoping there's not too much Melrose-Gala stories come out, or the drive could stop pretty quickly.

"I'm looking forward to catching up with Doddie - he's on a mission to try and raise awareness of MND, and the more money we can raise the more chance they have of finding something."

Weir, who won 61 international caps and was part of the British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa in 1997 during an illustrious career, announced his diagnosis with the disease last year to raise awareness of the degenerative condition and pledged to devote his time to helping with research and supporting fellow sufferers.

Last month it was announced his charity - the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation - is to contribute £400,000 to support the work of Chris Shaw, professor of neurology and neurogenetics, and his team at King’s College London who are investigating gene therapy for sporadic MND.

Richie says he was keen to help after seeing how the country had rallied to the cause.

He said: "What Doddie's done since finding out about his illness has been incredible, and it just seems to have grown arms and legs; every single thing that he has done just seems to be getting bigger and bigger."

The Borders rugby duo will be joined by Alister Scott and Andrew Stirling from Adam Purves Mitsubishi for the mammoth journey in Alister’s own MK1 Mitsubishi Shogun.

They're setting off on the fundraiser, for the My Name'5 Doddie foundation and Muscular Dystrophy UK, today (Tuesday). And it's hoped to finish at the Border Union Show in Kelso on Friday.

It will include stops at Gloucester Rugby Club, Glasgow Warriors and Caithness Rugby Club along the way, while also taking in the North Coast 500 route.

Richie added: "It's amazing how days just get added to it! When I was told it was only going to be the 25th and 26th but it now seems to be going into mid-October, so it could possibly enter the Guiness Book of Records as the longest drive ever from Lands End to John O'Groats."

Text Doddie to 70790 to donate £5 or visit their crowdfunding website to make a donation or find out more information.