Former World Cup winner, 47, tells BBC he has been diagnosed with motor neurone disease

Former England rugby captain Lewis Moody has revealed he has been diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND). The 47-year-old World Cup winner shared the news with the BBC.

Moody said he was finding it difficult to accept what the diagnosis meant for his future and his family, though his symptoms were relatively mild, including some muscle wasting in his hand and shoulder.

Motor neurone disease is a neurological condition that damages the nerves in the brain and spinal cord, leading to muscle weakness and loss of movement. It can also affect breathing and may prove fatal within 12 to 18 months of diagnosis.

Moody discovered he had MND after noticing weakness in his shoulder while training in the gym. When physiotherapy failed to help, scans showed nerve damage in his brain and spinal cord caused by the condition.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast two weeks after learning of his diagnosis, Moody said he felt “at ease” as he focused on his wellbeing, his family and preparing for the future.

“There’s something about looking the future in the face and not wanting to really process that at the minute. It’s not that I don’t understand where it’s going. We understand that. But there is absolutely a reluctance to look the future in the face for now,” he said.

“You’re given this diagnosis of MND and we’re rightly quite emotional about it, but it’s so strange because I feel like nothing’s wrong. I don’t feel ill; I don’t feel unwell. My symptoms are very minor. I have a bit of muscle wasting in the hand and the shoulder.

“I’m still capable of doing anything and everything. And hopefully that will continue for as long as is possible.”

He said the most difficult part was telling his family, especially his mother and his two teenage sons.

“It’s never me that I feel sad for,” he said. “It’s the sadness around having to tell my mum – as an only child – and the implications that has for her.”

He added: “We sat on the couch in tears, Ethan and Dylan both wrapped up in each other, then the dog jumped over and started licking the tears off our faces, which was rather silly.”

Fellow rugby players Doddie Weir and Rob Burrow died from MND in recent years, with the rugby community, and particularly England skills coach Kevin Sinfield, leading major fundraising efforts to tackle the disease.

About one in 300 people in Britain are thought to be at risk of developing MND. Around one in five cases are believed to be linked to genetics, and relatives of people with the condition can now be offered genetic testing to assess their risk.

Moody’s former Leicester team-mates Geordan Murphy and Leon Lloyd immediately launched a fundraising campaign to support him.

Ed Slater, the former Gloucester and Leicester player who has been diagnosed with MND, wrote on X that he was “absolutely devastated” for Moody and his family, adding: “We will be here for you as and when you need.”

Bill Sweeney, chief executive of the Rugby Football Union, said the organisation was “deeply saddened and distressed” by the diagnosis, describing Moody as “one of the toughest and most fearless players ever to don a back-row shirt in the game, earning the respect and admiration of team-mates, opponents and supporters alike all over the world.”

Andrea Pinchen, chief executive of Leicester Tigers, said: “The figures, trophies and awards tell you what an incredible player Lewis was, but that is only half the story. As an individual, his commitment to his club along with his warmth and passion shone through, which endeared him to team-mates, staff and supporters alike.”

Moody, who won English and European titles with Leicester during his playing career, was part of England’s 2003 World Cup-winning team.