Lewis Moody has spoken about his life since being diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND). In a new BBC documentary, he opens up to former team-mate Ben Youngs about the risks of playing rugby.
Moody Reflects on Rugby’s Risks
Youngs asked Moody if he ever saw a risk to playing rugby. Moody played alongside Youngs, winning 71 caps for England and touring with the British and Irish Lions. He also won domestic and European titles with Leicester.
Moody was known for his commitment and disregard for pain, earning him the nickname ‘Mad Dog’. He says he was aware of the risks involved in playing rugby. He tells the BBC documentary, Ben Youngs Investigates: How Safe Is Rugby?: “I do think I was very aware of the risks rugby presented, when you go and smash yourself into another human being week in week out, day in day out.”
Moody continues, “I think I was acutely aware of the risks that come with injury and concussion, but I was happy that the reward and the joy of playing the sport far outweighed any of those.”
“I enjoyed what I did so much that I was prepared to put up with that, and I would do again. I loved it… I absolutely loved it.”
MND Diagnosis and Rugby Link
Moody was diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND) last year. Several other rugby players have also received the same diagnosis.
Rugby league legend Rob Burrow died in June 2024. Scotland international Doddie Weir and former Springbok Joost van der Westhuizen also died with the condition. Ed Slater, whose career at Leicester overlapped with Moody’s, retired from playing in July 2022 after tests showed he too had MND.
There is no proven link between rugby and MND, though elite athletes are disproportionally affected by the condition. It is thought low levels of oxygen in the body during intense exercise damage motor neurone cells, triggering the disease in those who are susceptible.
Moody recognises rugby has become linked with MND in the public’s mind. “I don’t get frustrated by it,” he says.
“It is an easy assumption to make, because you have had a couple of high-profile rugby players with MND, that playing rugby makes you more likely to get MND. But that is not the truth.”
He adds: “The only link and connection to MND and sport is around extreme exertion. There are research papers out there that talk about the connections. If you speak to the scientists or clinicians in this space, there are multiple reasons MND occurs. It’s not one thing.”
Moody retired from rugby 14 years ago. Ben Youngs Investigates: How Safe Is Rugby?
Past Awareness of Risk
Looking back, the 47-year-old says it wasn’t that simple when it came to being aware of the risks. In his playing days, the only risk Moody seemed concerned with was that some ounce of effort would be left unspent in pursuit of victory.
In September 2007, Moody faced Tonga in a must-win Rugby World Cup pool-stage match for England.