Former Borders rugby stars getting on bikes again in memory of ex-Scotland lock Doddie Weir

Hunter and Tukalo are among 11 cyclists planning to ride from their home-town of Selkirk to Italy in March to raise funds for the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation.

Calling themselves the Cycling Souters, they’ve lined up a 1,500-mile trip to Rome’s Stadio Olympico to deliver the match-ball for Scotland’s Six Nations game against the Italians there on Saturday, March 9, and they’re hoping to top the £20,000-plus they raised for the charity in 2022 by riding from Edinburgh to Cardiff to hand over the ball for head coach Gregor Townsend’s side’s 20-17 loss to the Welsh that year.

They’ll meet ex-Scotland captain Rob Wainwright in Rome for next year’s ball handover.

Joining Tukalo, 62, and Hunter, 65, for that ride will be Tommy Knox, Allen Jamieson, Kevin Fairbairn, Kenny Pearce, Davie Anderson, Scott Hall, Mark Moncrieff, John Davidson and Michael Bell.

“The Cycling Souters will cycle in relay teams,” said team captain Hunter, capped four times at scrum-half in 1984 and 1985.

“We were overwhelmed by the fantastic support we received from sponsors and members of the public for our Cardiff ride, and we’re hoping everyone will again get behind the boys for what’s going to be an even tougher challenge.

“For the 2024 Rome ride, we’re aiming to surpass the £20,000 total we raised two years ago – a tough ask but one which all our riders are happy to take on.”

The cyclists will leave Selkirk Market Place at 7am on Sunday, March 3, riding 90 miles south to Newcastle to catch an overnight ferry to Amsterdam.

Supported by a back-up crew of Nancy Hunter, Susan Tukalo and Lawrence McPherson in camper-vans, they’ll then travel through the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Italy and they’re planning to arrive in Rome on Friday, March 8.

That route was mapped out by ex-Selkirk player Jamieson and he explained: “We’ll cycle an average of 280 miles per day in Europe, the equivalent of cycling from Selkirk to Birmingham every day.

“En route, we will meet up with other teams of like-minded charity cyclists, who will be setting off from multiple start points across the UK.”

Wainwright, one of the six-day ride’s organisers, added: “The My Name’5 Doddie Foundation was established by the late Doddie Weir and trustees in response to the Scotland and British and Irish Lion’s frustration at the lack of options given to MND sufferers – no effective treatment, no access to meaningful clinical trials and therefore no hope.

“The foundation has already donated millions of pounds for targeted MND research projects and is committed to continuing to invest in the most promising research to help find new treatments, gain improved knowledge and ultimately find a cure.”

Donations can be made online at https://www.justgiving.com/team/cyclingsouters

Former Scotland and Melrose lock Weir, of Blainslie, was diagnosed with MND in 2016 and lost his fight against the disease in November 2022 at the age of 52.