World Cup winner diagnosed with motor neurone disease

Fundraising page set up by former Leicester teammates

The rugby world has rallied around the former England captain Lewis Moody, who has revealed he has been diagnosed with motor neurone disease. The 47-year-old 2003 World Cup winner admitted he was having trouble accepting what his diagnosis means for the future but that he intends to stay positive.

Among the most decorated forwards to play for England, he earned 71 caps and led his country at the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand, earning the nickname “Mad Dog” as an all-action, hard-hitting flanker.

Since revealing his diagnosis, tributes have poured in from a host of teammates, the Rugby Football Union and the British & Irish Lions. His former Leicester teammates Geordan Murphy and Leon Lloyd have set up a GoFundMe page for Moody’s family and associated causes. By lunchtime on Monday, more than £30,000 had been donated.