Leader comment: Our love for Doddie, a giant among us all

At 6ft 6in, Doddie Weir is a giant of a man and, with 61 appearances in a Scotland rugby shirt and a British Lions tour under his belt, a giant of the game.

Scott Hastings presents a Radio Forth Award for services to sport to Doddie Weir (Picture: Ian Georgeson)

But in the extraordinary way he has faced his diagnosis with motor neuron disease, he has proved himself a giant in a different sense.

Despite his obvious distress, he has thrown himself into his new task: raising awareness of this terrible and incurable disease.

Bill McLaren famously described him as being “on the charge like a mad giraffe” during one game; any rugby fan who saw Doddie play will be able to picture this image.

In publicising the need for more research into MND, he has adopted a similarly bold and eye-catching approach, wearing his trademark technicolour tartan suits at every opportunity.

Kenny Logan and other players of his era have spoken of the love they have for Doddie and the whole of Scotland is now realising why. So the presentation of a special honour for “services to sport” at the Radio Forth Awards is something the entire nation and the international rugby community will applaud.