IN celebration of Doddie Weir's 53rd birthday fans, colleagues, and family of the Borders rugby legend have shared their favourite memories.

Doddie passed away on November 26, 2022. He had been diagnosed with motor neuron disease (MND) in 2016 and set up the My Name'5 Doddie Foundation to support families living with the disease and to further vital research into a cure.

We asked our readers to share their favourite Doddie stories to celebrate his birthday which would have been yesterday (July 4).

Dave Johnston described the 'mad giraffe' as "sheer class" after having a chance meeting with his two young sons.

He said: "A few years ago me and my two sons who were only young at the time were in Gordon’s barbers in Gala.

"It was the morning of Scotland v. England at Murryfield.

"Doddie was in the chair getting a tidy up before his TV work, he asked my boys what colour of his trademark tartan lucky trousers to wear the boy’s finally settled on red.

"We never thought anymore of it.

"We went on to beat England that day and in his post match interview Doddie mention the encounter live on TV and thanked the boys, you should have seen the look on their faces!

"The man was just sheer class and is sorely missed."

Adding her experience with Doddie, Eleanor Tindle shared a series of photos of her son and Doddie at an athletics award presentation in 2019 where the pair are clearly having a joke comparing their height difference.

She said: "It's a lovely memory of him that we have."

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Robert Millar added his own memory of Doddie.

He said: "Walking with him from Lauder to Cortalferry and talking about my dads MND.

"Before he told everyone he had it himself."

Sharing to social media, Doddie's charity, the My Name'5 Doddie Foundation said: "We all miss Doddie greatly, but his legacy ans spirit endure, ans will continue to inspire us to work tirelessly to find effective treatments for MND."

In honour of Doddie's birthday, and his contributions to the worlds of rugby and MND, his former Scotland teammate Kenny Logan announced yesterday (July 4) that he would take on a 700-mile cycling and walking challenge - the distance from Murrayfield to the Stade de France in Paris.

Border Telegraph: Kenny Logan and Doddie Weir played in two Rugby World Cups together

The challenge aims to raise £555,555 for the My Name'5 Doddie Foundation.

Logan will be joined by a team of 20 celebrities and fundraisers on his challenge.

He said: "Doddie was larger than life and that’s why he touched so many people all over the world. He was stubborn, but as soon as he realised he wouldn’t be able to help himself, he dedicated his time to helping others.

“It would’ve been his birthday today, and it seems so unfair that such bad things happen to good people. I think about him all the time. We all miss him.”