There was a powerful sense of homecoming at Oakham School this afternoon as former England rugby captain and World Cup winner Lewis Moody MBE rolled onto campus. The stop marked a deeply moving milestone in his grueling 500-mile "Lewis Moody XV Cycle Challenge" in aid of the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation.
Moody, who bravely shared his own Motor Neurone Disease (MND) diagnosis last year, is leading a tight-knit peloton from Newcastle all the way to Twickenham Stadium.
"It’s not a set of circumstances I ever imagined returning to Oakham under," Moody shared ahead of the ride, "but it feels incredibly important to me that the ride passes through places and communities that shaped my life. Oakham played a huge part in who I became, not just as a rugby player but as a person."
After catching their breath and soaking up a warm reception from the local community, the energy shifted toward the next leg of the journey. A spectacular peloton of around 30 cyclists comprising a galaxy of rugby greats, close friends, and local riders departed Oakham to accompany Moody on the afternoon leg toward Mattioli Woods Welford Road, the home of the Leicester Tigers.
The route is deliberately stitched together from the clubs and places that defined Moody's career.
The seven-day, 505-mile journey began on Sunday at Newcastle Red Bulls the former club of the late Scottish rugby icon Doddie Weir.
The ultimate goal? To deliver the match ball for this weekend's Gallagher Premiership Final at Twickenham while raising vital funds to accelerate research into effective treatments and an ultimate cure for MND.
The atmosphere on the ground in Rutland today was electric, filled with camaraderie, shared memories, and fierce determination.
If you want to catch the voices, the stories, and the emotion directly from today's stop-off, make sure to set your dials. Keep your ears open for exclusive interviews from the day, broadcasting this evening and tomorrow on Rutland and Stamford Sound.
https://www.rutlandandstamfordsound.co.uk/
To learn more about the route or to make a donation to the cause, visit the official page at
