Kevin Sinfield says he will ‘support in any way he can’ after Lewis Moody revealed he has been diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease.
The rugby union icon and former England captain confirmed that he was diagnosed two weeks ago, announcing the news to the world on Monday.
In an emotional interview, the 47-year-old sat alongside his wife and spoke of facing the reality of the disease, for which there is no cure.
Fellow rugby icons Rob Burrow and Doddie Weir are other high profile people who suffered with MND, with Sinfield a prominent campaigner for research into the disease due to his teammate and friend Burrow being struck down by it.
Sinfield, who coaches the England rugby union team, but still takes on incredible endurance tests for charity, says he will support Moody and his family however he can.
‘I’m obviously very saddened by the news,’ the 45-year-old told PA. ‘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 together.’
Sinfield has raised over £10m for those impacted by MND, with his latest challenge beginning on December 1 when he will run seven ultra marathons in seven days across seven cities. Donate here.
Moody told BBC Sport: ‘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.
‘Maybe that’s shock or maybe I process things differently, and once I have the information, it’s easier.
‘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.
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‘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 added: ‘There is no cure and that is why you have to be so militantly focused on just embracing and enjoying everything now,’ World Cup winner Moody said.
‘It is daunting because I love being active and embracing life, whether it’s on the rugby pitch, watching the kids, whatever it is.
‘There’s a lot of questions around what we need to put in place for the future. It’s still so new, I found out two weeks ago.’
What is MND?
Motor neurone disease (MND) causes muscle weakness which progressively gets worse over months or years.
Messages from motor neurones in the spine and brain gradually stop reaching muscles, which causes them to weaken, stiffen and waste.
Tragically, there is currently no cure for MND, but there are various treatments that can help manage symptoms for as long as possible.
The condition usually, but not always, develops over the age of 50.
Individuals with MND have a reduced life expectancy, but life expectancy can vary depending on which form of MND has been diagnosed.
Will Greenwood, Moody’s England teammate when they won the World Cup in 2003, told BBC Radio 5 Live: ‘He is the most wonderful human that we love to his very core.
‘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.’
Another former England star and teammate of Moody, told Rugby Union Weekly: ‘It hit me hard today. 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.’
Is there a direct link between rugby/sport and MND?
A 2022 study from the University of Glasgow, published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, found that former international rugby players had around a 2.5 times higher risk of neurodegenerative disease compared to the rest of the population, with a 15 times higher risk of MND.
Led by consultant neuropathologist Prof Willie Stewart, experts compared health outcomes among 412 male, Scottish, former international rugby players and over 1,200 matched individuals from the general population.
Prof Stewart said at the time his study was published: ‘I am genuinely concerned about what is happening in the modern game, and that if, in 20 years’ time, we repeat this study we would see something even more concerning.
‘Rugby has talked a lot and done a lot about head injury management and whether it can reduce head injury during training.
‘Those conversations have gone on a while and the pace of progress is pretty slow.’
Other research has suggested that people who play football at a professional level also have an increased risk of neurodegenerative disease.