RIP Doddie Weir (Nov 2022)

Everyone at Genius Brewing was deeply saddened to learn that Scotland and Lions rugby legend Doddie Weir had finally succumbed to Motor Neurone Disease on November 26th, aged 52. Having been diagnosed in 2016, Doddie had bravely battled the neuro-degenerative disease for 6 years, far out-living the prognosis of his doctors and medical experts.

George Wilson Weir, or ‘Doddie’ as everyone knew him, played 61 times for the Scotland rugby team and was selected for the British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa in 1997. Doddie’s rugby career took him from his beloved Melrose RFC to professionalism at premiership-winning Newcastle Falcons where he played with other rugby greats including Jonny Wilkinson and Va’aiga Tuigamala, before finishing his career back home in Scotland with the Border Reivers.

Genius Brewing’s co-founder Jason Clarke played rugby at school with Doddie and against him thereafter. Jason’s father-in-law also died of MND far too young. Thus shortly after Doddie announced the establishment of his My Name'5 Doddie Foundation in 2017, when Genius Brewing was preparing to launch, we sought to become Official Fundraising Partners.

As Official Fundraising Partners, Genius Brewing pledges to donate 5p from every Gen!us light craft beer to Doddie’s foundation. Doddie wore the #5 jersey with such distinction, donating 5p from every Gen!us Craft Lager and Gen!us IPA seemed spot on! We’re extremely proud to carry the My Name’5 Foundation logo on our cans.

Genius Brewing also supports other MND fundraisers and events in whichever way we can. This has included Doddie golf days, the Great Rugby Cycle, Doddie Lions Trek, and the Mad Giraffe Atlantic Row. Even though Doddie is no longer with us, Genius Brewing is will continue to support his vision to see a world free of MND.