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England Great Lewis Moody, 47, Discloses Motor Neurone Disease Diagnosis

Experts caution there is no proven link between rugby and MND despite new fundraising efforts.

Overview

  • Moody said he feels well with only minor symptoms, reporting muscle wasting in a hand and shoulder after noticing shoulder weakness in the gym.
  • The Rugby Football Union expressed distress at the news and pledged practical and emotional support for Moody and his family.
  • Former Leicester teammates Geordan Murphy and Leon Lloyd launched a GoFundMe to help the family and related charities.
  • A 2022 University of Glasgow study reported higher rates of neurodegenerative disease in former international players, including a markedly higher incidence of MND, though causation was not established.
  • MND Association researcher Dr Nick Cole said there is no definitive link between rugby and MND, while neurologist Dame Pamela Shaw has suggested strenuous exercise may raise risk in some genetically susceptible people.