1
Latest Doddie Weir Dodcast podcast: 'There is a glimmer of hope'
Former Scotland international Doddie Weir has emerged from the lockdown in the UK with a new Dodcast podcast message – he is hopeful that MND-Smart, a new generation of clinical trial in which multiple treatments are evaluated simultaneously, can prove to be a game-changer in treating the disease.
ADVERTISEMENT
The 1997 British and Irish Lion has been raising awareness of motor neurone disease through the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, founded after his own diagnosis in 2017, and he now believes there are some grounds for optimism with the trial about to start.
“There is a definite bit of hope there, especially this year,” said ex-Scotland forward Weir on the latest episode of The Dodcast (click here to listen), the Jill Douglas-hosted podcast charting how the soon-to-be 50-year-old former Test lock is living with MND.
“I’m positive. The virus has put a wee dent into the trials and research, but behind the scenes what is going on is a lot of hard work.
“In saying that there is still a lot of questions on the frontline through the foundation. We have received quite a number of emails coming from patients who have been newly diagnosed and don’t get a lot of help.
Will you cycle 25, 50 or 75 miles to raise awareness and essential funds for @MNDoddie5? Everyone is welcome to join Doddie5 Virtual Ride on July 4th via @GoZwift! All info here: https://t.co/JQ6DlusdyO #MND #CycleEvent #Scotland #scottishcycling @portalsecurity
Sent at:
— Doddie5 Ride USA (@Doddie5Ride) June 22, 2020
“That is an area where these future podcasts are going to help people understand that there is a lot of things out there and we can answer a number of the questions because I know my frustrations along the journey and I have got the most amazing team behind me to answer some of these questions.
“People who don’t have that it must be really difficult for them, especially in lockdown, so these future podcasts are going to be vital to people who would like some answers.
ADVERTISEMENT
“Definitely there is a glimmer of hope and as soon as this lockdown is finished we have the trials which are the first in the UK for over 30 years which is very encouraging and very exciting.”
Closeted away on the family farm near Fountainhall, Galashiels, Weir has described the recent lockdown period due to the coronavirus pandemic as enjoyable as it has made for quality family time.
“I have quite enjoyed being on the farm this lockdown because it has allowed me to spend time with the family, which I haven’t done too much of before because we have been doing a lot of (fund-raising) dinners, so in that way it has been quite good.
“There is no doubt about it that I’m finding MND a bit more than I was a year ago, but we are fighting it hard. But the farm has been unbelievable. I have thoroughly enjoyed it.
ADVERTISEMENT
“It has allowed me to get out for a bit of fresh air. We have got an outside gym that I use once or twice a week, and the pod we got attached to the house a year ago has been fantastic, allowing me to shower and it has got the kind of Tokyo toilet has been a great invention for me to be independent. When you take all that in context I think I’m doing quite well.”
The life of @MarkyJ13 fell apart when he learned of the horrific circumstances of his birth.
The ex-England U20s centre talks to @heagneyl about fighting back from drink, drugs, ballooning up to 112kg and finding himself on the brink of homelessnesshttps://t.co/cdx4CZS7rb
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) June 21, 2020
Comments on RugbyPass
What a dagg in more ways than one
5 Go to commentsRegroup come back next year but sack some of the coaching team and don't be like the ABs last minute sacking. If Crusaders don't do well ABs don't do well.
5 Go to commentsProctor Definitely inform again this year had a hell of a season last year and this year is looking even better. Still mixed feelings about Ioane tho.
4 Go to commentsDagg is still trying to get enough headlines to make himself relevant enough to get a job. The Crusaders went back to square one at all levels. Shelve this season and nail the next one.
5 Go to commentsHe was in such great form. Sad for him but only a short term injury and it will be great to see him back for the finals.
1 Go to commentsAfter their 5/0 start, I had the Crusaders to finish Top 4 only…they lost the plot in Perth but will reload and back themselves vs 4th placed Rebels…
5 Go to commentsBoth nations missed a great opportunity to book a game that would have had a lot of interest from around the world. I understand these games can’t be organised in 5 minutes but they should have found a way to make it happen. I don’t think Wales are ducking anyone but it’s a bad look haha.
3 Go to commentsIt will be fascinating to see the effect that Jo Yapp has. If they can compete with Canada and give BFs a run for their money that will be progress
1 Go to commentsFollowing his dream and putting in the work. Go well young fella!
3 Go to commentsPerhaps filling Twickenham is one of Mitchell’s KPIs. I doubt whether both September matches will be at Twickenham on consecutive weekends. I would take the BF one to a large provincial stadium so as not to give them the advantage and experience of playing at Twickenham before a large crowd prior to the RWC.
3 Go to commentsvery unfortunate for Kitshoff, but big opportunity potentially for Nché to prove he is genuinely the best loosehead in the world, rather than just a specialist finisher. Presuming that if Kitshoff is out, it will also give Steenekamp a chance to come into the 23? Or are others likely to be ahead of him?
1 Go to commentsA long held question in popular culture asks if art imitates life or does the latter influence the former? Over this 6 nations I can ask the same question of the media influencing the thoughts of its audience or vice versa. Nobody wants to see cricket scores in rugby, as a spectacle it is not sustainable. With so many articles about England’s procession and lack of competition it feeds the epicaricacy of many looking for an opportunity to pounce. England are not the first team to dominate nor does it happen only in rugby, think Federer, Nadal, Red Bull or Mercedes, Manchester Utd, Australia in tests and World Cups. Instead of celebrating the achievements why find reasons to falsify it pointing towards larger playing pool, professional for a longer period or mitigate with the lack of growth in other nations. Can we not enjoy it while it is here and know that it won’t last for ever, others coveting what England have will soon take the crown, ask the aforementioned?
6 Go to commentsShame he won’t turn out for the Netherlands now they’re improving. U20s are Euro champs and in the U20 Trophy this year. The senior sides gets better every year too.
3 Go to commentsWill rugbypass tv be showing these games?
1 Go to commentsWell where do you start, the fact that England have a professional domestic league and Ireland’s is fully amatuer, that they have fully seperated professional squads at Fifteens and Sevens (7’s thinly disguised as GB), and Ireland have fully pro Sevens squad who loan some players back to the Semi-Professional Fifteens squad (moved from amateur for only a year or so) for a few games at 6N & RWC’s. The Women’s games is a shambles, and is at risk of killing itself by pushing for professionalism when the market isn’t really there to support it outside one or two countnries..
6 Go to commentsWayne Smith's input didn't have as much impact on the last final as Davison's red card for Thompson. England were 14 points up and flying when that happened.
6 Go to commentsBilly's been playing consistently well for 2 - 3 seasons now and deserves a look in at the top level. Ioane and ALB are still first choice but there needs to be injury cover and succession. His partnership with Jordie gives him first dibs you'd think. Go the Hurricanes.
4 Go to commentsIt’s not up to Wales to support Georgian Rugby. That’s up to International Rugby and Georgia. I sympathise with Georgia’s decent attempt to create this fixture. But for Wales the proposed match up is just a potential stick to beat them with and a potential big psychological blow that young Welsh team doesn’t need. (I’m Irish BTW.)
3 Go to commentsCale certainly looks great in space, but as you say, he has struggled in contact. At 23 years old, turning 24 this year, he should be close to full physical maturity and yet there exists a considerable gap in the power and physicality required for international rugby. Weight doesn’t automatically equate to power and physicality either. Can he go from a player who’s being physically dominated in Super rugby to physically dominating in international rugby in 1 or 2 years? That’s a big ask but he may end up being a late bloomer.
38 Go to commentsIf rugby wants to remain interesting in the AI era then it will need to work on changing the rules. AI will reduce the tactical advantage of smart game plans, will neutralize primary attacking weapons, and will move rugby from a being a game of inches to a game of millimetres. It will be about sheer athleticism and technique,about avoiding mistakes, and about referees. Many fans will find that boring. The answer is to add creative degrees of freedom to the game. The 50-22 is an example. But we can have fun inventing others, like the right to add more players for X minutes per game, or the equivalent of the 2-point conversion in American football, the ability to call a 12-player scrum, etc. Not saying these are great ideas, but making the point that the more of these alternatives you allow, the less AI will be able to lock down high-probability strategies. This is not because AI does not have the compute power, but because it has more choices and has less data, or less-specific data. That will take time and debate, but big, positive and immediate impact could be in the area of ref/TMO assistance. The technology is easily good enough today to detect forward passes, not-straight lineouts, offside at breakdown/scrum/lineout, obstruction, early/late tackles, and a lot of other things. WR should be ultra aggressive in doing this, as it will really help in an area in which the game is really struggling. In the long run there needs to be substantial creativity applied to the rules. Without that AI (along with all of the pro innovations) will turn rugby into a bash fest.
24 Go to comments