Greenwood leads support for former team-mate Moody

Former England captain Lewis Moody has been backed to tackle motor neurone disease with "every ounce of his strength" by former team-mate and fellow Rugby World Cup winner Will Greenwood.

Moody, 47, learned he had the degenerative, muscle-wasting condition two weeks ago and has told BBC Breakfast he is struggling to confront the implications of his diagnosis.

Rugby league legend Rob Burrow and Scotland and British and Irish Lions great Doddie Weir have both died from the disease in the past three years.

"He is the most wonderful human that we love to his very core," Greenwood, who played alongside Moody for both England and Leicester, told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"It is just tragic news, because he is one of the great guys. And I know there is no order to this stuff - how you leave this planet - but you root for the good guys.

"There is not a nasty bone in his body. He is the most optimistic human you can hope to find, and then he had an ability on the pitch to just turn a switch and be the most ferocious competitor.

"He will fight this with every ounce of his strength."

Former Gloucester and Leicester second row Ed Slater, who was diagnosed with MND in July 2022, and has led fundraising efforts since, said he was "absolutely devastated" for Moody.

Moody told BBC Breakfast that he felt "slightly selfish" for not getting in contact with Slater since he found out he had the disease a fortnight ago, saying he has been daunted by what the future held for him.

"We will be here for you as and when you need," Slater said in a social media message, before directing followers to a fundraising drive launched for Moody by his friends.

Rugby Football Union (RFU) chief executive Bill Sweeney said Moody, who won 71 England caps and three caps for the British and Irish Lions, "represents the very best of rugby's values" both on and off the pitch.

Sweeney added: "Lewis represented England, the British and Irish Lions and his clubs Leicester Tigers and Bath Rugby with both brilliance and distinction - 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.

"We are ready to offer practical and emotional support to the Moody family in whatever way is needed and appropriate; and we encourage people to show their support through the fundraising initiatives now being set up."

Former England back Chris Ashton told the Rugby Union Weekly podcast that he has nothing but respect for Moody, describing his former team-mate as "a real leader".

"It's not sunk in yet," Ashton said. "Even though this is the fourth player that we all know [to have MND], it never gets any easier. I think it's because you know what's coming.

"But what a player, what a human – he's so passionate, such a hard man. I admire him even more for what he is going to go through."

Danny Care, who played scrum-half for England during Moody's captaincy, also praised his old skipper's leadership qualities and promised to be supportive.

"It hit me hard today," Care told Rugby Union Weekly. "We have seen with Doddie and with Rob and Ed Slater what this horrible disease does to people. I think that is what scares you the most.

"I will never forget my first time in the England camp. Moody put his arm around me straight away and said 'I will look after you. If there's any trouble - come to me.'

"We are all hurting for him but we are all here for him."

Retired England back Ugo Monye also spoke highly of his former team-mate and is pleased that Moody has found some answers.

"He is such a carer of a bloke - which is such a contradiction to how he played the game because he was so tough - but off the pitch he is a really thoughtful and really caring person," Monye said.

"I think Lewis thought something was up with him. There's been times when I've spoken to him about him having constant headaches. There's always been something just niggling in him, so I'm so pleased that he's investigated.

"No-one ever wants to hear this type of news, but he's taken the time to try and understand."

Greenwood (left) and Moody were team-mates with Leicester and England

Kevin Sinfield, who was awarded a CBE for his services to the motor neurone disease community after his friend Burrow's diagnosis inspired him to raise more than £10m to fund research and awareness, sent Moody a message of support and made a fresh vow to tackle the disease.

"I'm obviously very saddened by the news," said Sinfield, who is a skills and kicking coach for the England national rugby union team. "I'd like to wish Lewis, and all his family and friends, the very best.

"I'll support in any way I can. We have to keep fighting MND [motor neurone disease] together."

Andrea Pinchen, Sweeney's counterpart at Leicester Tigers where Moody made 223 appearances, winning seven English titles and two European crowns over 14 years, also paid tribute to Moody as a person, as well as a player.

"The figures, trophies and awards tell you what an incredible player Lewis was, but that is only half the story," said Pinchen.

"One minute he's parading around with the World Cup trophy and the following Friday he'd be in the ticket office where I worked, answering the phone to supporters if we were really busy and helping sell tickets.

"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.

"Always looking to help others, Lewis together with his wife Annie have worked tirelessly through the Lewis Moody Foundation, supporting research into brain tumours and helping affected families.

"He absolutely threw himself in. It was very much lead by example. He would never ask somebody to do something he wouldn't do himself. He is utterly fearless."

Football's Leicester City added their support, describing Moody as "a sporting great of our city".

What is motor neurone disease?

Affecting about 5,000 people in the UK at any one time, motor neurone disease is a neurological condition which gets progressively worse over time.

Motor neurones are nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that carry messages to muscles controlling movement which, when damaged, interrupt signals to muscles, leading to muscle weakness, loss of movement and muscle wasting.

It can also affect speech and the ability to walk and breathe unaided.

Motor neurone disease is most common among over-50s - though it can affect people at a much younger age - and while more than 50% of those affected die within two years of diagnosis, life expectancy can vary considerably.

Stephen Hawking had a rare, slow-progressing form of the disease, living more than 50 years with the condition - and trials of an immunotherapy drug interleukin-2 suggest it can extend survival for those with less aggressive disease.

A Scottish study three years ago found that former international rugby players were more than 15 times more likely to develop MND than the general population, and were also more likely to develop dementia and Parkinson's.

The research is not definitive and as yet there is no proven link, but it has highlighted the need to minimise the risks of head injury in sport.

Several more research projects are under way, which look at the biological mechanisms at work and the extent of any risk.