Emma Hamish Weir pays tribute to dad’s enormous impact as he prepares to spearhead Doddie Aid 2026
The eldest son of the late Scotland rugby international and motor neuron disease (MND) campaigner Doddie Weir MBE has been announced as Scotland captain for Doddie Aid 2026, spearheading his nation’s challenge in what he believes is the right moment ‘to step up’ and continue his father’s work in support of My Name’5 Doddie Foundation.
Weir died on 26 November 2022, after living with MND for more than six years.
Doddie Aid, the annual mass-participation fundraising event launching on 1 January, encourages people across the UK and beyond to log miles in any form of exercise – from swimming and cycling to running, golf, dog walking or simply getting outside – to raise vital funds for MND research. This year’s focus is inclusion, with organisers emphasising that any activity counts, regardless of fitness level.
Hamish, who has followed in his father’s footsteps playing first-team rugby for Melrose alongside brothers Angus, 23, and Ben, 21, said: “This feels like my time to step up, not just as Doddie’s son, but as someone who wants to carry on what he started. The Foundation is deeply personal to me, my mum, my brothers – it sits deep within us. Keeping that connection alive really matters. If we can help in any small way, we have to do it.”
Hamish was just 16 when his father was diagnosed with MND. At the time, he said he hadn’t understood how widespread his father’s influence had been until the news was made public in June 2017 on Global MND Awareness Day, while the family were travelling to New Zealand for a trip of a lifetime as they made the most of every moment.
He said: “I don’t think I truly understood how big a figure Dad was until his diagnosis went public. I was 16, on the way to New Zealand, and as soon as I got a signal as we got off the flight my phone just blew up. It was overwhelming and a bit scary at that age – that’s when I realised how many people he’d touched. The impact was way beyond rugby.”
The full significance of that impact became clear later that year when the Weir family walked out at Murrayfield before Scotland’s Test against New Zealand in 2017 – a moment recently voted by fans as the greatest moment in Murrayfield’s 100-year history.
Hamish said: “It’s humbling to think how big an impact that moment has had on so many people. When the applause hit us, it felt like being struck in the face. Even now, it still gives me goosebumps. It was the first time I’d ever seen my dad emotional.”
He added: “MND has robbed us of a lifetime of memories, but that moment is one my brothers – Ben and Angus – and I will always hold on to.”
Now in its sixth year, Doddie Aid was founded by former Scotland captain and Hall of Fame inductee Rob Wainwright, a close friend and former teammate of Doddie. Tens of thousands of people have taken part over the years each January across Scotland, Ireland, England, Wales, and the Rest of the World to raise money for My Name’5 Doddie Foundation. As Scotland captain in 2026, Hamish is encouraging households, workplaces, schools, and communities across the UK and beyond to get involved – with a healthy dose of rivalry.
Hamish’s ‘rival’ captains include podcaster Archie Curzon, England; rugby star Edel McMahon, Ireland, and broadcaster Laura-Jane Jones, Wales.
He said: “The group chats have already started and it’s getting spicy amongst my friends and the family. That’s the beauty of Doddie Aid – the chance to kick the year off in the right way and also contribute to an incredible cause. Even if it’s just a mile round the block or a Pilates class, do it with other people – it all counts.
“You don’t need to climb Everest. A quick dog walk, a gym session, a lunchtime stroll – it all matters. Do it at your own pace, but get someone to join you. Dad always believed that when a community comes together, it can do something special. That’s what Doddie Aid is all about.”
He added: “Fundraising remains critical. A penny or a pound, it all makes a difference. Dad wanted to get the money in and then get it to research as quickly as possible, and that’s what the Foundation is here for. Every person who signs up is helping drive research forward and offering hope to people living with MND today.”
Earlier this year, the Foundation announced its largest-ever single investment, committing more than £4 million to four cutting-edge research projects as part of its Discovery Network. Inspired by the Michael J. Fox Foundation’s approach to Parkinson’s research, it will be the first UK-based ‘open science’ model for MND – designed to break down competitive barriers between labs, speed up collaboration and accelerate breakthroughs. The approach forms part of the Foundation’s bold research blueprint, Catalysing a Cure, aimed at fast-tracking scientific progress and transforming how MND research is conducted.
Paul Thompson, Director of Fundraising at My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, said: “Hamish stepping forward as Scotland captain is a powerful moment. It shows that Doddie’s legacy continues in the next generation, and we’re all working together to achieve his ultimate aim of a world free of MND. This year, inclusion is at the heart of Doddie Aid – whether someone walks a mile with their dog or cycles across the country, every contribution matters.”
Hamish says his motivation is rooted in personal experience: “I’ve been given a platform – wherever I can help, I will. I know how horrible and cruel this illness is, and I don’t want any other family to go through what we did. I’ll always laugh and joke – that’s in Dad’s DNA – but there’s a serious goal here. We want a world free of MND.”
“Get signed up. Then get someone else signed up. Two, three, four people – that’s how it starts. Once you’re in that team environment, it becomes infectious. That’s how we’ll keep Dad’s legacy alive – and hopefully one day find a cure.”
Doddie Aid 2026 begins on 1 January. To take part visit doddieaid.com.
