There has never been anyone quite like Doddie Weir. A giant of the game and a rugby icon, the late great Scotland international always lived life to the full.
The XV you see below is made up of players Doddie Weir singled out for praise in his autobiography.
Today, Scottish Rugby Legend Doddie Weir's Foundation Injects Over £500,000 into Motor Neuron Disease Trials
The My Name'5 Doddie Foundation (MNDF), established by the late Scottish rugby icon Doddie Weir, is committing more than £500,000 to accelerate motor neuron disease (MND) clinical trials across multiple UK centres.
This substantial investment aims to expedite the discovery of effective treatments for the debilitating condition. Weir, who was diagnosed with MND in 2016, tragically passed away on November 26, 2022.
In honour of what would have been his 54th birthday, the foundation is urging supporters to don a piece of tartan to raise awareness and support for MND research.
Doddie Weir names his dream team:
BACK-THREE:
Gavin Hastings (Scotland): "Consistently outstanding for both Scotland and the Lions. Helped me a lot when the game turned professional."
Tony Stanger (Scotland): "Probably Scotland's greatest ever finisher. He was key as we won the 1990 Grand Slam."
Jonah Lomu (New Zealand): "He took the 1995 World Cup by storm. There were plenty of players who were six foot five and nearly nineteen stone, but none I knew who could run the 100m sprint in 11 seconds."
CENTRE:
Alan Tait (Scotland): "He seemed to have the uncanny ability to always be in the right place at the right time. Then you realised that was because he was pushing opponents into areas where they had no space to work. He was also the tightest man in the world."
Tana Umaga (New Zealand): "Scored twice against us. Like with Lomu, we really struggled to contain him."
HALFBACKS:
Jonny Wilkinson (England/Lions): "He must have only been 17 or thereabouts when I met him. Thinking wise, and in terms of skill was on another level. Jonny's dedication and diligence put many - me included - to shame."
Joost van der Westhuizen (South Africa): "From a rival who almost single-handedly ended my career as an international number 8, to a standard-bearer in the fight against Motor Neurone Disease, and, eventually, a victim of this cruel disease. He was unstoppable on his day."
FRONT-ROW:
George Graham (Scotland): Aggressive beyond belief, like a bulldog whose lost its bone then swallowed a Wasps trying to find it. He'd have been a nightmare to play against."
Keith Wood (Ireland): "Phenomenal as a teammate and a super tourer. As a person, for me, he epitomized the whole Lions ethos."
Jason Leonard (England/Lions): "He was always an absolute rock on the corner of the scrum. He did all the work in the scrum and I could just have a breather."
SECOND-ROW:
Chris Gray (Scotland): "Great man he was. Loved playing next to him."
Simon Shaw (England): "I think he is one of the most underrated players in recent history. He had everything."
BACK-ROW:
Richard Hill (England/Lions): "He was fantastic guy and a terrific player, someone I got to know really well on that trip (1997 Lion). But in terms of bedroom manners, he was abysmal.
Rob Wainwright (Scotland/Lions): "Someone I always loved playing with was Rob."
Scott Quinnell (Wales/Lions): "I've known Scotty for a long time, as a rival, as a fellow tourist, as a pundit, and a lot of hospitality functions. He was the complete player."
