Lewis Moody: “I knew the risks in rugby and I would do it again”

Nine seconds of silence.

After Ben Youngs asks if Lewis Moody ever saw any danger in playing rugby, his former teammate takes his time before launching into his answer.

There is a lot to consider.

Moody played alongside Young at the highest level. He played 71 international matches for the England national team. He toured with the British and Irish Lions. He has won domestic and European titles as part of a reputable Leicester side.

Through it all, Modi became known for his total commitment. His disregard for pain and endless appetite for collisions and close-quarters combat earned him the nickname “Mad Dog.”

In his playing days, it seemed that the only risk Moody was concerned with was leaving some effort unspent in the pursuit of victory.

Looking back, the 47-year-old says it wasn’t that simple.

“I think I was very aware of the risks that rugby poses, when you go and smash yourself into another human being week after week, day after day,” Moody says in a new BBC documentary – Ben Youngs Investigates: How Safe Is Rugby?

“I think I was fully aware of the risks that come with injury and concussion, but I was happy that the reward and joy of playing sports far outweighed any of those risks.

“I enjoyed what I did so much that I was willing to take it, and I would do it again. I loved it…I absolutely loved it.”

Last year, Modi was diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND) – a degenerative condition that results in muscle loss.

Many rugby players received the same news.

Rugby league legend Rob Burrow died in June 2024. Scottish international Doddie Weir and former Springbok Joost van der Westhuizen also died of the condition.

Ed Slater, whose Leicester career overlapped with Moody’s by one season, retired from playing in July 2022 after tests showed he also had MND.

There is no proven link between rugby in either code and MLS, although elite athletes in general are disproportionately affected by this condition.

It is believed that low oxygen levels in the body during intense exercise damage motor neurons, leading to the disease in people who are susceptible to the disease either through genetics or environmental factors.

Despite this, Modi recognizes that rugby has become associated with the National Democratic Movement in many public minds.

“I don’t get discouraged by it,” he says.

“It’s an easy assumption to make, because you’ve had two top rugby players with MND, that playing rugby makes you more susceptible to MND. But that’s not the truth.

“The only connection between motor movement and sports is around extreme exertion. There are research papers that talk about the links. If you talk to scientists or doctors in this field, there are multiple reasons why motor movement occurs. It’s not one thing.”