2 days ago
Mail Sport Extreme: Logan ready to do it for Doddie - again - as former Scotland wing gets set to embark on cycle around Ireland
When the British and Irish Lions begin their first warm-up match against Argentina in Dublin on Friday week, it's Doddie Weir who will be in the immediate thoughts of everyone involved.
The lock, who passed away in November 2022 after a battle with motor neurone disease, is often remembered for his big smile, warming character and, now of course, for the work done by the My Name'5 Doddie Foundation in fundraising to help find a cure for MND.
Next week, Weir's former Scotland team-mate Kenny Logan, son Hamish, and a number of other names from the world of sport, including Ally McCoist, Will Green and broadcaster Gabby Logan, are taking on the challenge of cycling around Ireland, stopping off at some of the country's most famous Lions' origins clubs, and delivering the match ball to the Aviva Stadium as the Lions face the Pumas for the 1888 Cup.
Cycling around 100 miles a day is a challenge that Logan and Co are not taking lightly, however he admits that Weir himself would expect more.
He says: 'I can hear Doddie now joking: 'Only 100 miles a day? Why not 200?' I think he'd be proud, but not as proud as we are of him for turning his diagnosis into a lifeline for other people. He never did this for himself.
'We keep pushing because of everything he did for the MND community. We're working towards that day when someone turns around and says: 'We've done it, there's a cure for MND.' That's when we'll celebrate.'
This is not the first time that Logan has taken on an endurance challenge to raise funds in the fight against MND.
In 2023, he was part of a group of fundraisers in a cycling and walking challenge from Edinburgh to Paris ahead of the World Cup launch.
Though this time around it is fully on the bike, the 53-year-old can't wait to get started.
'One minute I'm buzzing, the next I'm nervous,' he admits. 'I think everyone's a bit nervous from all the chat in the WhatsApp group about wind, rain and hills! But the nerves and tension are good - it sharpens you. We just need to keep reminding ourselves why we're doing this.
'(The) My Name'5 Doddie Foundation is one of the charity partners for the British and Irish Lions and we're raising money for the Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association (IMNDA) as well as MNDF.
'Doddie was a proud British and Irish Lion so this ride is our tribute: to him, what he stood for and everything he achieved.
'We'll be delivering the match ball at the 1888 Cup in Dublin for the British & Irish Lions vs Argentina which will be a special moment for all of us. It brings everything full circle.
'It's simple: the more we raise, the quicker we can get to a cure. Every pound counts towards vital research. MND shouldn't be an incurable disease, it's an underfunded one and we're here to support My Name'5 Doddie Foundation to help change that for all the people that have - and will get - MND.'
Thoughts inevitably turn to the previous challenge and Weir.
Passing through the rugby heartlands of Ireland, it's likely that Logan and his fellow cyclists will face all sorts of emotional stories and moments en route to completing this challenge, though none might compare to one from the previous trip.
'In 2023, we walked and cycled - and that combination nearly broke me. This time it's full-on cycling, we'll be covering 100 miles a day,' adds Logan. 'Hopefully minus the snow, but with Irish weather - even in June - you never know! The forecast looks quite good, but it could all change as we know too well.
'We came down a hill in France, above the clouds, and this yellow and blue balloon just appeared out of nowhere. I thought someone had arranged it - they hadn't. It was one of those moments where you felt like Doddie was with us.
'It's about hardship, yes, but more than that it's about the people. We started as strangers, but by the end we were team-mates. That's what the Lions are all about - and it's what Doddie was all about too.'
In the here and now, Logan feels it is 'no question' that Finn Russell starts at No10 for the Lions.
Though Zander Fagerson has been ruled out through injury, the former wing suggests there could have been room for one or two more Scots on Tour than the initial eight selected.
He says: 'Absolutely brilliant (to have eight Scots selected). We're unlucky to not have 10 players, the likes of Jamie Ritchie and Darcy Graham, but I'm pleased for the rest of the boys. They've earned their place to play with some of the best players in the UK. I can't wait to cheer them on.'
