University of Gloucestershire winger Nico Allen reacted to the recent motor neurone disease (MND) diagnosis of Lewis Moody, admitting “I think it really makes you question playing the sport.”
Ex England Rugby captain and World Cup winner, Moody revealed on Monday morning that he has been diagnosed with MND, the same disease that took the lives of rugby legends Doddie Weir and Rob Burrow.
Moody won 71 caps for England and five for the British & Irish Lions on their 2005 tour to New Zealand.
The 47-year-old made over 200 appearances for Leicester Tigers where he won seven Premiership titles.
He discovered he had MND after noticing weakness in his shoulder while training in the gym, then going through physiotherapy to try and rehabilitate his shoulder but had no luck.
After a series of scans it turned out the the former flanker had MND which had damaged nerves in his brain and spinal cord.
Allen opened up about how big this diagnosis is for rugby, as a player himself and a life long Tigers fan.
“I have forever loved the sport and played from a young age, but when you put that potential risk into contemplation you think: is it really worth turning up and playing every week,” he said.
“When you put a lot on the line to play and you see other big names in the last five to 10 years such as Doddie Weir in 2016, Rob Burrow in 2019 and Ed Slater more recently all being diagnosed.”
Allen further acknowledged that it is not something that you think about when going to play rugby for the first time.
“I started playing at six or seven years old and at that age you don’t know about it or think about the contact, you just crack on with it. And then once you’re in it it’s very hard to come out of it.”
Moody ended his career in the South West when he moved to Bath in 2010 on a three year deal, but ended his career early due to injury in 2012.
In November, the second annual 745 game will be taking place at Kingsholm Stadium. This game combines Rugby Union and Rugby League and was organised by Burrow and Slater.
Two codes. One cause.
— Ed Slater (@edslater) September 26, 2025
I’m proud to bring the 745 Cross Code Rugby Game back — union vs league standing together to fight MND. Every ticket sold helps families like mine and funds vital support.
📅 9th November — Kingsholm Stadium, Gloucester
🎟️ Tickets: https://t.co/6U7JSGRCko… pic.twitter.com/QaDzfIMYvN
All profits for this game go towards research for MND treatment, a great rugby event for charity.
“The 745 game is a great idea and a great initiative to raise money for the cause, and bringing Union and League together is a fantastic idea,” Allen said.
“I think the recent diagnosis will bring in a lot of people to this game and put a lot of eyes on it which is great for rugby and research for the disease and funding.”
In recent years, we have seen concussion protocols tighten massively in rugby, especially with the introduction of the electric gumshield which Allen thinks is a great addition to the sport.
“I think recently we’ve taken a positive step forwards with the electric gumshields which force physios and doctors to take players off the field and have them off there for 12 minutes.
“I think it’s really positive as it forces players to slow down for a bit and think about it and think ‘my life is in the balance here and I need to take this seriously’.”
Allen is hopeful that new protocols will reduce the risk of MND.
“I don’t think that you are ever going to stop it as there is still a chance of getting it without playing any contact sport.”
MND is known to progress quickly, with research done by the MND Association finding out that it kills one third of people within a year and over half of people within two years of diagnosis, with the disease causing difficulty in breathing and swallowing. Moody discovered he had MND after noticing weakness in his shoulder while training in the gym, Moody went through physiotherapy to try and rehabilitate his shoulder but had no luck.
Recently, the drug Tofersen has been found to work in one out of 50 patients and has been shown to slow, and in some cases reverse the symptoms of MND.
This has been approved by the EU, but is yet to be approved by the United Kingdom.
Riluzole is the only approved drug for MND in the United Kingdom, which slows down the effects of MND and increase life expectancy for several months, but will not reverse it.
