Former England rugby captain Lewis Moody has completed a 500-mile charity bike ride to raise funds for motor neurone disease (MND) research. The 48-year-old, who led England to World Cup victory in 2003, cycled continuously for seven days before finishing the challenge, which aimed to support those affected by the progressive neurological condition.

Moody, who was diagnosed with MND last year, celebrated the completion of the ride by popping champagne. Reflecting on the experience, he described how confronting adversity brought a heightened sense of purpose. “When you’re put in places of adversity is when you generally feel most alive,” Moody said. “You’re carrying another burden that you wouldn’t otherwise be carrying, and that’s to say the burden is a privileged burden.”

During his professional rugby career, Moody played for the Leicester Tigers and maintained close friendships with fellow rugby players affected by MND. One such friend was Rob Burrow, a rugby league star from Leeds who passed away from the disease in 2024 at the age of 41. Burrow’s former teammate Sir Kevin Sinfield has since raised over £11 million in his memory through fundraising efforts.

MND also claimed the life of Doddie Weir, a celebrated Scotland rugby international diagnosed in 2016. Weir’s foundation, My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, raised more than £8 million before his death in 2022 at the age of 52. The foundation supports research aimed at discovering effective treatments for MND, a rare neurological condition that affects the brain and spinal cord, impairing an individual’s ability to walk, talk, and breathe.

The charity’s stated vision is a world free of motor neurone disease. Moody’s fundraising effort contributes to ongoing initiatives to support research and improve the quality of life for those living with the condition.