Former England captain Lewis Moody diagnosed with ALS

England rugby union captain Lewis Moody poses ahead of World Cup, in Bagshot, Aug. 2011

Lewis Moody, the former England rugby captain and 2003 World Cup winner, has been diagnosed with ALS, also known as motor neurone disease.

The 47-year-old Moody said he has “a bit of muscle wasting in the hand and the shoulder” but described them as “minor symptoms.”

“I feel fit and well in myself and I’m focused on staying positive, living life and dealing with the changes I will experience as they come,” he said in a statement.

Moody was given the diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis two weeks ago.

“There’s something about looking the future in the face and not wanting to really process that at the minute,” he said in an interview with the BBC. “It’s not that I don’t understand where it’s going. We understand that. But there is absolutely a reluctance to look the future in the face for now.”

Fellow rugby player Doddie Weir and rugby league star Rob Burrow have died from the illness in recent years, with rugby embracing a high-profile fundraising campaign to tackle it.

According to Britain’s National Health Service, the disease “causes muscle weakness that gets worse over a few months or years. It’s usually life-shortening and there’s currently no cure, but treatment can help manage the symptoms.”

“You’re given this diagnosis of MND and we’re rightly quite emotional about it, but it’s so strange because I feel like nothing’s wrong,” Moody told the BBC. “I don’t feel ill. I don’t feel unwell … I’m still capable of doing anything and everything. And hopefully that will continue for as long as is possible.”

Moody, a flanker, played 71 times for England, including in all seven matches as England won the 2003 Rugby World Cup in Australia. In the final against Australia, he won the lineout that led to Jonny Wilkinson’s match-winning drop goal. He was England captain for 12 games.

Moody also played five tests for the British and Irish Lions and was a seven-time title winner with English club Leicester Tigers.

He was nicknamed “Mad Dog” because of his fearless and hard-hitting style of play.

Rugby Football Union CEO Bill Sweeney said the governing body was “deeply saddened and distressed” to hear about Moody’s diagnosis.

“Lewis represented England, the British and Irish Lions and his clubs Leicester Tigers and Bath Rugby with both brilliance and distinction,” Sweeney said, adding that Moody was “one of the toughest and most fearless players ever to don a backrow shirt in the game, earning the respect and admiration of team-mates, opponents, and supporters alike all over the world.”

Former Leicester teammates Geordan Murphy and Leon Lloyd yesterday launched an online fundraiser to help Moody and his family.

Since retiring, Moody launched “The Lewis Moody Foundation” to fund research in, and improve diagnosis of, brain tumors. MDT/AP