Doddie Weir nails colours to mast for new tartan

Borders rugby legend Doddie Weir has nailed his colours to the mast for his latest outfit in a bid to raise cash for his motor neurone disease research charity.
Borders rugby legend Doddie Weir at Murrayfield clad in a new tartan he designed with the ScotlandShop to raise funds for his motor neurone disease research charity.Borders rugby legend Doddie Weir at Murrayfield clad in a new tartan he designed with the ScotlandShop to raise funds for his motor neurone disease research charity.
Borders rugby legend Doddie Weir at Murrayfield clad in a new tartan he designed with the ScotlandShop to raise funds for his motor neurone disease research charity.

The former Scotland international has had his own tartan designed for him by Berwickshire-based clothes firm ScotlandShop, and it features two of the sets of colours he used to wear on rugby pitches here in the Borders and around the world.

Now listed in the Scottish Register of Tartans, it’s got black and yellow in it as a nod to Melrose, the first senior team the 47-year-old played for, from 1991 to 1995, and it’s also got the blue and white of Scotland in there reflecting Doddie’s 61 caps for the national side between 1990 and 2000.

With Doddie at the launch of Doddie5 tartan are ScotlandShop founder Anna White and Emily Redman, its designer.With Doddie at the launch of Doddie5 tartan are ScotlandShop founder Anna White and Emily Redman, its designer.
With Doddie at the launch of Doddie5 tartan are ScotlandShop founder Anna White and Emily Redman, its designer.
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The black of the former and white of the latter are also intended as a reference to his seven years with Newcastle Falcons, from 1995 to 2002.

“Our association with the legend that is Doddie Weir is a long and personal one stretching far back beyond us making the tartan suits he is so famous for,” said Anna White, founder of the Duns firm.

“The idea of a Doddie tartan has been one mooted for several years, and our in-house designer, Emily Redman, was delighted when Doddie finally said ‘let’s do it’ and the serious business of colour and sett design could begin.

“Good things always come out of bad situations, and the Doddie’5 tartan has been designed to support the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, raising funds to aid research into motor neurone disease.”

Doddie checking out a Tam o'Shanter.Doddie checking out a Tam o'Shanter.
Doddie checking out a Tam o'Shanter.
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Doddie, of Blainslie, said: “I have always fancied having my own tartan, and it is great to be able to work with a local company like ScotlandShop here in my home area of the Borders to design my very own tartan knowing that it will benefit others fighting MND.”

Only one suit has been fashioned out of the new tartan, for Doddie himself, but it has been turned into ties and Tam o’Shanter bonnets too, and scarves are set to follow.

Proceeds from sales of those accessories at ScotlandShop’s outlets in Duns and Edinburgh or online will go to the research charity Doddie set up following his diagnosis with MND in December 2016.

Go to www.scotlandshop.com for details.

With Doddie at the launch of Doddie5 tartan are ScotlandShop founder Anna White and Emily Redman, its designer.With Doddie at the launch of Doddie5 tartan are ScotlandShop founder Anna White and Emily Redman, its designer.
With Doddie at the launch of Doddie5 tartan are ScotlandShop founder Anna White and Emily Redman, its designer.

Another item of clothing set to raise funds for Doddie’s foundation is a replica of the shirt bearing its logo to be worn by the Falcons for their Aviva Premiership game against Northampton Saints on Saturday, March 24, at St James’s Park in Newcastle.

For more details, go to www.newcastlefalcons.co.uk