Rob Wainwright leads All Roads to Rome challenge for My Name'5 Doddie

The group will be led by long time campaigner and former Scotland captain Rob Wainright and will also include the likes of Stuart Hogg, Gordon D’Arcy, Roger Baird, Marcello Cuttitta and Davy Zwy. One of those taking part is Roy Thorburn and the 63-year-old set off yesterday, and he’ll be one of the few cyclists taking on the journey solo.

Wainright will lead 19 teams of people looking to do their part before delivering the match ball for Scotland’s clash with Italy in the Six Nations on March 9 as part of the All Roads Lead to Rome challenge. More than £400,000 has already been raised and all of that money will go towards the foundation set up in the name of the late Doddie Weir.

The cycling teams will travel the full distance or in relay and will congregate at Piazza Navona on Friday, March 8 – the day before the game. There will be a celebration in honour of the 63-time capped Scotland legend, who sadly passed away in November 2022 after a six year battle with Motor Neuron Disease.

READ MORE: Scotland's finest hour: Looking back at the 1986 Calcutta Cup demolition

And Thorburn, who also took part in the challenge from Murrayfield to Cardiff and has cycled more than 120 miles a week in training, insists there’s no way he could say no to taking part and trying to help people as much as possible.

He said:  “I’ve seen how devastating MND can be to people and their families, and there’s no greater motivation to help than that. Doddie was a giant of the game and everybody still looks up to what he stood for. His reach goes far beyond rugby now and that’s why I wanted to get involved. 

“When Rob asks you to do something, there’s no saying no, and I’m excited and nervous in equal measure about the ride. I’m looking forward to the challenge and the thought of meeting everybody for a beer in Rome will get me through.” 

Wainright has regularly led fundraising campaigns for the foundation and this is his fifth cycling challenge and hopes that it can help one day find a cure for the disease. The 58-year-old will lead a team that leaves from Oban on March 4 and cycle in continuous relays until they reach their destination and carry the match ball into the Stadio Olimpico.

Other teams will take their own route, with one even cycling to each of the six Six Nations stadia en route to Rome.

And Wainright said: “Doddie was an icon in the rugby world and the MND community, and has united an army of supporters in pursuit of a world free of the disease. It’s a tragedy he is no longer here – and we all miss him so much – but it’s up to us to take on the mantle and continue his mission until we have beaten MND. We won’t stop until that happens. 

“So much progress has been made since Doddie’s diagnosis, but there remains a huge distance to go. There are still no treatment prospects, but we are getting closer and there is hope for a breakthrough soon. We need to keep MND in the spotlight, and All Roads Lead to Rome is as much about raising awareness for the MND community as it is about digging deep to raise money for vital research – the only thing that will ultimately lead to an end to this devastating disease.

“It will be a tough challenge, but a rewarding one, and it will be even more special when we all meet in Rome on March 8 to celebrate the achievement and Doddie’s memory.” 

To support the cause you can donate at justgiving.com/campaign/all-roads-lead-to-rome.