The Real Reason Why Former Rugby Player Doddie Weir Is Called A ‘Doddie’
Doddie Weir, an OBE, and former rugby player, is called ‘Doddie’ as a nickname for George. The retired rugby star was born George Wilson Weir.
The 52-year-old is a former Scottish rugby union player who has inspired many since publicly opening up about his diagnosis with MND in 2017.
The disease has made the once fierce and powerful rugby frail, and though it has made him physically weak, it has not been able to disrupt his powerful mentality.
On Sunday, Doddie was wheeled onto the pitch and applauded by the Murrayfield crowd with his wife and three sons beside him. His side Scotland was wearing his famous blue and yellow tartan as they took to the field against New Zealand.
The Real Reason Why Doddie Weir Is Called A ‘Doddie’
The Scottish rugby union player, Doddie Weir is called a ‘Doddie’ because of his birth name. Doddie Weir’s birth name is George Wilson Weir and in Scotland, the country from where he hails Doddie is a nickname for “George.”
And it is his nickname that has earned him more fame than his birth name. The Scottish rugby legend runs a foundation starting from his name called My Name’5 Doddie Foundation and also has a rugby cup named after him called The Doddie Weir Cup.
The rugby player first broke into the scene in 1995 and quickly became a fan favorite at Stewart’s Melville RFC. He later played with Melrose before breaking into the senior league with Newcastle Falcons.
Standing at 6ft 6 inch many even called him “The Mad Giraffe”. The nickname was suitable because of his tall height and his fire personality on the pitch and would charge at his opponents like a mad giraffe.
Doddie Weir OBE is a Former Scottish Rugby Union Player
Doddie Weir OBE is a former Scottish rugby union player. He earned 61 caps for his nation and was one of the most prolific rugby during the 90s.
Doddie played in three World Cups and was selected to represent the British and Irish Lions in the South Africa tour of 1997. But a knee injury stopped him from taking part in any games, nonetheless, Weir is one of the most celebrated Scottish players to have graced the game.
And the rugby player received his OBE title in 2019 at the hands of the Late Queen Elizabeth II. The rugby player was honored with the title for his services to the rugby game and MND research and Borders Community.
In 2017 the rugby player revealed he was suffering from motor neuron disease(MND) and opened up the foundation My Name’5 Doddie Foundation to research and help people with the disease.
His wife and three sons were present at the ceremony that took place at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, where he stood proudly with his medal. And speaking to BBC in 2020, the rugby player said that he felt to be alive after two and a half years of his diagnosis.
Doddie Weir Mistaken Identity
The clip of Doddie Weir saying mistaken identity is known as one of the greatest comebacks of all time. Throughout the years, the clip has been posted several times on various social media handles.
During the time, Donnie was on tour with the Lions in South Africa. And in one of the team meetings, Donnie was called out by the team management for his late-night outing.
In the video, the management tells Donnie that he was pictured by a group of South African journalists at a nightclub in Port Elizabeth. And despite the team management putting a curfew at 11:00 pm, seeing the player’s photo on the papers the other day certainly didn’t sit well with them.
And after being confronted by the question, the rugby player replied with just two words that made the room erupt with laughter. He said, “Mistaken identity.” Then when the management asked him to clarify who it was, he gave another quick-witted reply.
Donnie said, “My father is out on tour.” Throughout his career, Donnie was known as a witty guy, and that small clip certainly showcases the exuberant personality of the rugby player.
