PERFECT PRESENT

Hall of fame honour for hero Doddie on 50th birthday

DODDIE WEIR will celebrate his 50th birthday today as the toast of Scottish rugby after being inducted into the SRU’s Hall of Fame.

Weir enjoyed a stellar career which saw him win 61 caps for Scotland over a ten-year period, as well as representing the British and Irish Lions on their victorious tour of South Africa in 1997.

The towering lock also had a highly decorated career at club level, where he won six domestic titles with Melrose as well as the English Premiership with Newcastle Falcons in 1998.

Weir has been battling motor neurone disease since 2017 but has won the hearts of the nation with the immense courage, bravery and good humour he has shown in his fight against the illness.

A larger-than-life personality, Weir was in typically fine form yesterday and admitted that the news represents the perfect birthday gift.

‘I am truly honoured to be inducted into Scottish Rugby’s Hall of Fame,’ he said. ‘I owe so much to the game of rugby and to our great rugby family in particular.

‘The support I received from players and supporters throughout my playing career and now in my current battle to find a cure for MND has been immense, and has given me the strength to keep fighting.

‘Thank you so much for honouring me with this award — and on my 50th birthday, too! What a great present!’

Since being diagnosed with the illness, Weir has worked tirelessly to raise funds and awareness for MND, as well as devoting himself to trying to find a cure.

He candidly admits that, when the initial diagnosis was made, the assessment from doctors was so grim that it seemed unlikely he would ever reach his 50th birthday. It is to his eternal credit, then, that he continues to fight so bravely, with his wife Kathy a particular tower of strength.

In a separate interview with BBC 5 Live, Weir said: ‘I can still walk, talk, eat… and drive my tractor! I can still cut the grass and have a wee drink or two. I can still have a wee smile about life, so things aren’t that bad.

‘I never for one minute thought I’d get to 50 three-and-a-half years ago. The professor said I wouldn’t even be walking into his surgery in a year’s time.

‘My wife and my boys have been amazing with the way they’ve stepped up. This weekend will just be about celebrating life.’

Meanwhile, the SRU have warned that club rugby in Scotland is unlikely to return from the Covid shutdown until October at the earliest.

With the game having been in cold storage since March, the SRU sought to help clubs with the provision of a £500,000 hardship fund.

That money has since been paid out as a way of trying to protect the grassroots game from the crippling financial effects of lockdown and the season being cut short.

Yet, despite pleased with the progress being made, the SRU believe it could be a further three months before competitive action resumes.

Warning that next season is likely to look very different, a statement from the governing body read: ‘Scottish Rugby’s six-staged roadmap for clubs and schools is aligned to the Scottish Government’s own phased exit from lockdown and in line with recommendations from World Rugby.

‘Taking physical distancing and the Scottish Government’s own phased route map into account, clubs are being advised that no adult competitive rugby is envisaged before October 2020.

‘This is due to the number of stages to be worked through and, specifically, the uncertainty around timing of when full adult contact rugby training and therefore matches can resume.

‘Clubs should not expect a traditional season in 2020/21. The rugby season may look very different, with regional and/or local fixtures likely to replace the competitive league programmes at many levels in order to stay in line with Scottish Government Guidelines, physical distancing and travel restrictions.

‘Clubs and schools will be required to meet three specific criteria before any rugby activity can begin and meet further requirements before full contact training and matches can begin.’

The three criteria which clubs will have to satisfy include a regular risk assessment of their facilities, the appointment of a Covid safety officer to oversee the return, as well as all coaches and match officials having to complete an online training course.

SRU Director of Rugby Development Sheila Begbie said: ‘Our priority is to ensure that a return to rugby is done only when it is safe to do so.’