Rugby club members join sport stars in bid to raise thousands for Doddie Weir campaign

A team from a North Wales rugby club are on course to raise a massive £25,000 as they embark on a mammoth 500 mile charity cycle ride from Edinburgh to Cardiff.

The four riders from Ruthin Rugby Club will join rugby legends Shane Williams - Wales' record try-scorer, England's Mike Teague and Scotland's Rob Wainwright as well as cycling stars Sir Chris Hoy and Mark Beaumont.

The group will cycle from Murrayfield to the Principality Stadium in Cardiff and deliver the match ball ahead of the Wales v Scotland Doddie Weir Cup match on Saturday February 12.

The two-day, 50-hour relay ride is for popular former Scotland second row giant Doddie Weir's campaign to raise funds for research into Motor Neurone Disease, which affects him and so many others across the UK.

The cycling cavalcade will make a one-hour stop at Ruthin at about 7.30am on Friday morning and then head for Dolgellau with stop-offs at Ysgol Y Berwyn, Bala, and Ysgol O M Edwards, Llanwchllyn, on the way.

So far the rugby club team of Dr Matt Davies, former first teamers Steve Morgan and Rob Boyns and Wyn Jones, from Caernarfon, have raised a staggering £22,000-plus for the My Name'5 Doddie Foundation which aims to rid the world of MND.

They are hoping local children will be there at Ruthin Rugby Club to welcome the riders, to sing the anthems of Wales and Scotland and for autographs while refreshments will also be provided and that local cyclists will join them on the ride out towards Corwen.

The group have received sponsorship from several local companies including Denbigh based storage firm Lock Stock.

Matt Davies, from Llanynys, near Ruthin, a GP at the Middle Lane Surgery in Denbigh, said: "The ride starts at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh and we're