Marc Bazeley
@MarcBazeley
Former dual-code international John Bentley played alongside Doddie Weir for Newcastle Falcons and the British and Irish Lions; Bentley’s former rugby league team Leeds Rhinos are honouring the Scottish great with a special shirt to be worn at this week’s Super League Magic Weekend
Last Updated: 01/06/23 3:48pm
John Bentley with Leeds player Jarrod O’Connor and the Doddie Weir tartan shirt the Rhinos will be wearing at Magic Weekend
John Bentley played alongside Doddie Weir as a team-mate at club and Test level, but more importantly he could call him a friend. Now the former dual-code international’s old rugby league team are paying tribute to the Scottish rugby union icon in one of the cities he starred in.
Weir died in November last year at the age of 52 after suffering with motor neurone disease, having dedicated his life to raising money and awareness of the condition following his diagnosis in 2016. More recently, he had become close with Rob Burrow after the rugby league star was diagnosed with MND in November 2019 too.
That has resulted in Burrow’s old club Leeds Rhinos choosing to honour Weir’s legacy with a special kit depicting his tartan to be worn when they face Castleford Tigers at Magic Weekend in Newcastle, from which £10 of every replica sold will go to the ‘My Name’5 Doddie’ foundation.
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It was moving back to the 15-player code in 1996 with Newcastle Falcons following the advent of professionalism where Bentley first got to know the second row who enjoyed life off the field as well as on it, and the former winger could not think of a more appropriate way to pay tribute.
“It’s a wonderful tribute to both Doddie and the family,” Bentley, who spent four years with Leeds from 1988 to 1992 after crossing rugby’s divide from Sale, told Sky Sports.
“He was an amazing person. We all went up to his memorial to celebrate his life, and the only shame about that was he liked a party and he missed it.
“It’s a condition for which there’s no cure, as we’re all aware, and it is money which goes towards research for that.
Weir celebr …