Well played, rugby Scots

NEWS that rugby hero Doddie Weir had been diagnosed with motor neurone disease was terribly sad. That such a vital, healthy man could be afflicted by the damnable illness came as the starkest reminder that MND strikes indiscriminately.

Since his diagnosis, Doddie has been a fine campaigner for increased research into the currently incurable illness. Like another great Scot, the late political campaigner Gordon Aikman, Doddie has made something positive out of a terrible personal tragedy.

On Saturday, the Scotland team managed to grind out a fairly unspectacular win over Argentina. But if the players weren’t exactly on top form during the match their actions afterwards were exemplary. The squad donated £10,000 from match fees to Doddie’s charity to help sustain research into MND.

A spokesman for Scottish Rugby said this gesture showed just how much the players respect Doddie, how much he has inspired them, and the depth of their respect for him as a man and a player. We don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say Doddie Weir inspires similar feelings among Scots across the nation.