Former England rugby captain Lewis Moody diagnosed with ALS, or motor neurone disease
The 47-year-old, who played a key role in his country’s 2003 World Cup win, says he does not feel unwell and is ‘staying positive’
Lewis Moody, the former England rugby captain and 2003 World Cup winner, has been diagnosed with ALS, also known as motor neurone disease.
The 47-year-old Moody said he had “a bit of muscle wasting in the hand and the shoulder” but described them as “minor symptoms”.
“I feel fit and well in myself and I’m focused on staying positive, living life and dealing with the changes I will experience as they come,” he said in a statement.
Moody was given the diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis two weeks ago.
“There’s something about looking the future in the face and not wanting to really process that at the minute,” he said in an interview with the BBC. “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.”
Fellow rugby player Doddie Weir and rugby league star Rob Burrow have died from the illness in recent years, with rugby embracing a high-profile fundraising campaign to tackle it.