Borders rugby legend Doddie Weir’s home team in third place in fundraising challenge

This year’s Doddie’s Active Inter-District Challenge, known as Doddie Aid for short, wraps up ahead of the Six Nations match between Wales and Scotland in Cardiff on Saturday, February 12, following its launch at the start of last month.

It’s a mass-participation fundraising event in aid of Weir’s motor neurone disease charity and its format, thought up by his ex-Scotland team-mate Rob Wainwright, is based on rugby’s old Scottish inter-district championship, challenging five teams to compete to bring in the most money.

It calls on anyone wanting to support the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation to raise money for teams representing the South, Edinburgh, Glasgow, North and Midlands and Scottish Exiles, rebranded Barbarians this year, by engaging in any form of exercise and logging the distance they cover, either virtually or actually.

The South, Weir’s home team then and now, finished runners-up first time round in 2021 after clocking up 495,511 miles, with Team North and Midlands’ 667,209 miles securing pole position.

This time round, the region’s team, captained by Borderers Greig Laidlaw and Samantha Kinghorn, are sitting third with just over a week to go, having raised £77,266 so far, thanks to 3,386 supporters covering 345,015 miles.

Last year’s inaugural effort saw 22,000 participants raise more than £1m for the foundation, set up by the 51-year-old, of Blainslie, following his diagnosis with MND in 2016, and ex-Scotland rugby captain Laidlaw, from Jedburgh, and Paralympics star Kinghorn, from Gordon, are hopeful that they can help top that this time round.

They’re being backed in that bid by bosses at Scottish Borders Council and a flag was raised at the local authority’s Newtown headquarters last Friday as a show of support, with Weir, his wife Kath and ex-Scotland team-mate Gary Armstrong in attendance.

“I want to pay tribute to the thousands of people who have signed up for Doddie Aid and are raising vital funds towards finding a cure for MND,” said Weir.

“The South have been doing well notching up the miles, getting active and having lots of fun.

“It is fantastic that Scottish Borders Council is flying a flag in support of Doddie Aid.”

Leaderdale and Melrose councillor David Parker, the authority’s convener, added: “Scottish Borders Council is delighted to show its support for Doddie Aid in honour of the incredible commitment of those taking part and doing what they can to help the foundation.

“A great many Borderers have taken up the challenge, which has not only helped us to become fitter and more active but, more importantly, is raising much-needed funds for this vital cause.

“We are pleased to be playing our part in recognising their efforts in this way.”

In a further show of support, the tower at the council’s headquarters is being floodlit nightly in the foundation’s blue and yellow colours.