Former England rugby union star Lewis Moody has revealed the emotional promise his wife Annie made to him after he was diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND). Moody has been living with the illness for just over a year.
Moody's battle with MND
The 48-year-old is regarded as an England legend, having won the Rugby World Cup in 2003, three Six Nations Championships, and the Premiership title seven times with Leicester Tigers.
In October 2025, Moody revealed he had been diagnosed with MND after first noticing weakness in his shoulder while training at the gym. Specialist testing later confirmed the disease.
Wife's steadfast support
Speaking about his wife of more than 20 years, Moody emotionally shared that Annie promised to support him throughout his entire battle, right after he received the diagnosis. "She said she'd be there no matter what," Moody told the High Performance podcast. The couple share two sons, Dylan and Ethan.
Moody also discussed the difficult moment he told his children about his condition. "As soon as we found out, I said to Annie, 'I'm going to tell the boys as soon as we get back.' We probably talked about it in the car," he said.
"It was a bit of a haze, as you can imagine. I just walked in and sat down and said, 'I've got something to tell you. It's not going to be easy to hear.' That was it."
"It's horrible telling your kids that, knowing that as a parent you've brought this disappointment and sadness. Telling your kids is hard. You don't ever want to feel like that. But as soon as you've told them, you can then move forward."
Optimistic outlook
Despite concerns about the future, Moody said he has accepted his diagnosis and maintains a positive perspective. "It doesn't mean you're going to die immediately," he said. "We can look into drugs, we can look into trials. Prior to that, you can't do anything because you don't know what's wrong. We just have a great time and are seeking to do that as often as possible."
Moody added: "We will laugh, we will live, we will love. I choose to live a hopeful and positive life. I don't see the point in being any other way."
Several other high-profile rugby figures across both codes have been diagnosed with the condition, including former England and Leeds Rhinos star Rob Burrow, who died in June 2024 aged 41.
