Former England Captains Moody Sinfield Face Motor Neurone Disease Battles

Lewis Moody, former England rugby captain and 2003 World Cup winner, has been diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND), an incurable muscle-wasting condition that has also affected fellow rugby players Doddie Weir, Rob Burrow, and Joost van der Westhuizen. Moody, who has mild symptoms and remains active, expressed the emotional challenge of facing the diagnosis alongside his wife and sons. Kevin Sinfield, a coach with the England rugby union team and a prominent MND campaigner who lost his friend and former teammate Rob Burrow to the disease, pledged his full support to Moody and his family, emphasizing the need to continue fighting MND together. Sinfield has raised over £10 million for MND research and awareness and is preparing for a fundraising challenge in December involving seven ultra-marathons in seven days across seven cities. Moody’s former teammates, including Geordan Murphy and Leon Lloyd, have also rallied around him, establishing a GoFundMe page to support him. Messages of support have poured in from the rugby community, recognizing Moody’s fearless spirit both on and off the field.