England’s Lewis Moody, a World Cup champion, observed his son playing for the national team shortly after publicly disclosing his diagnosis of motor neurone disease. The former England captain shared the devastating news in an interview less than a week ago.
Motor neurone disease claimed the lives of fellow rugby figures Doddie Weir and Rob Burrow, prompting Moody to acknowledge that he is not yet prepared to confront the full consequences of his diagnosis. The 47-year-old initially noticed weakness in his shoulder while exercising, leading to scans revealing nerve damage in his brain and spinal cord due to MND.
A member of England’s legendary 2003 World Cup-winning squad alongside renowned players like Jonny Wilkinson and Martin Johnson, Moody now witnesses his son, Dylan, starting his own international career, albeit in a different position.
Dylan, aged 17, secured his first professional contract with Southampton earlier this year and has since made his debut for England in September. Most recently, he participated in England U18’s 1-0 victory over France at St George’s Park, coming off the bench along with other notable players’ sons like Elijah Upson and Reigan Heskey. Elijah Upson scored the winning goal in stoppage time.
Lewis Moody expressed his pride for his son, a young goalkeeper, on Instagram with two posts. He initially wrote: “Great night watching this rather large legend,” followed by another post commending “this little warrior @dylanmoody.1” during the U18 match at St George’s Park.
The former England star has been transparent about his medical condition, mentioning minimal discomfort and a desire to maintain a normal life for as long as possible, despite acknowledging some fear regarding the future.
Moody stated, “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. 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.”
Regarding the implications of his condition, he added, “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.”
