Scotland v Wales match ball handed over after Doddie Weir 555-mile charity ride

It was all cheers and smiles when a star-studded team of cyclists delivered the match ball ahead of the Scotland v Wales Six Nations game after a gruelling 555-mile charity ride in memory of the late rugby legend Doddie Weir.

The 200-strong peloton, led by former rugby captain Rob Wainwright, started its epic trip from the Principality Stadium in Cardiff on Thursday morning and arrived at BT Murrayfield Stadium at about 4pm on Saturday.

As a nod to Weir’s esteemed rugby career, today’s match ball was strapped to the back of Wainwright’s bike throughout the 48-hour ride across Wales, England and Scotland.

The rugby legend then handed the ball over to the Princess Royal in front of tens of thousands of fans who were belting out the Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond as they awaited kick-off.

“I feel much better after having a shower,” Wainwright quipped in an interview with the BBC, minutes after arriving at the stadium.

Sporting a full-on Doddie Weir tartan outfit, Wainwright added: “I feel amazingly okay for 20 minutes sleep last night.

“It’s been wonderful, what an experience it’s been, but I am quite glad it’s over.

“It’s the rugby family at its very best coming in support of an icon of the game and one of their own.”

Hollywood star Ryan Reynolds showed his support for the cyclists, which also included World Cup-winning former England skipper Martin Johnson and Olympian Sir Chris Hoy.

The Deadpool and Bullet Train star sent a motivational video to the riders offering an advanced welcome to the Racecourse Ground, home of his football club Wrexham AFC, where the group stopped for a rest on Friday morning.

He said: “I just want to wish you guys all the best. Go get them and what an incredible cause and such a wonderful thing