Welsh rugby legend Geoff Wheel dies aged 73 after battle with Motor Neurone disease

WELSH rugby legend Geoff Wheel has died aged 73 after a battle with motor neurone disease.

Wheel was an iconic figure in the 1970s and early 1980s and won 32 caps for his country.

Geoff Wheel from Wales in action in 1980

The rugby legend passed away after a battle with motor neurone disease

He died aged 73 Credit: Church of St Thomas Swansea/Facebook

Geoff Wheel was a much loved member of the community Credit: St Thomas Church Swansea/Facebook

In a touching message to one of their great former players, Swansea RFC said Wheel had passed away in the early hours of Boxing Day.

The statement claims Wheel’s motor neurone disease (MND) “has not prevented him from going to games” until this season.

Motor neurone disease affects specialized nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord and causes everyday activities to become increasingly difficult or impossible.

Most of those diagnosed with the disease have a life expectancy of three years from the time they first notice symptoms.

MND slowly robs patients of their ability to walk, speak and eat, although each sufferer is different.

A full statement from Swansea RFC read: “Geoff was a player and a man who was loved and respected by all who knew him.

“A formidable competitor on the pitch, Geoff was a gentle, shy and thoughtful person in private, committed to the club he served from 1970 to 1983, twice as captain, as a player and for many years on the All Whites Former Board of Players’ Association (AWFPA) , who was president of the AWFPA at the time of his death.”

The statement added: “Geoff’s two seasons as Swansea captain marked a hugely successful period for the club. In 1979-80 they won the Western Mail Championship, the Sunday Telegraph Anglo-Welsh Championship, the Daily Mail Anglo-Welsh Championship, the Sunday Telegraph Team of the season and were winners of the WRU National Sevens.

“The following season under Geoff’s captaincy Swansea retained the Sunday Telegraph title and were also winners of the Whitbread Merit Table.

“Typically, Geoff remained the humble man he always was and the whole team benefited from this approach.”

With Wales, Wheel once went 15 games unbeaten between January 1975 and March 1978.

The Welsh legend won four triple crowns and two Grand Slams during his stellar career.

Caption Motor Neurone Disease Hits You Like a Brick – It’s Losing the Future You Thought You Had Instagram

St Thomas’ Church also paid tribute to Wheel after his death.

A statement on their Facebook page read: “To most of Wales he was a rugby legend but to us he was our friend, organist, treasurer, trustee, food bank volunteer and boy’s brigade salesman.

“He was the most humble man, always putting those around him first. He loved to serve the church in any way he could, from his musical talent to counting children on and off the bus on every trip.

“From giving free accommodation to children who didn’t bring money to collecting food from the food bank.

“Extremely loyal, talented and devoted friend and church member. Also totally dedicated… and so proud to be… an Eastside boy.

“We can only imagine the joy in his eyes as he stood face to face with the savior he had worshiped every day for so long of his life.

“Our prayers are with Christine and the entire family.”

Social media users also weighed in after Wheel’s death.

One wrote: “Lost. We have lost a true gentleman. He was a friend and colleague for several decades. Geoffrey Arthur Derek Wheel aka Legend will be missed.”

“Such a wonderful, generous and humble man. RIP Geoff, you will be missed by many,” said another.

Another said: “God bless, truly an amazing man. Thoughts and prayers with Christine and his family.”

Symptoms of MND

Muscle weakness and joint stiffness are common symptoms of motor neuron disease.

Other potential indicators of MND, which affects around 5,000 people in the UK, include muscle loss or wasting and problems with movement and mobility.

Numbness is also common, as are spasms, jerks, and spasms.

Many people will have problems with speech and communication, difficulty breathing and changes in saliva.

MND is caused by a problem with cells in the brain and nerves called motor neurons.

These cells gradually stop working over time, but it is not known why this happens, the NHS says.

Although motor neurone disease is usually not painful, the symptoms can be extremely debilitating.

It is usually diagnosed in people over the age of 50, and men are at greater risk than women, but it is important to remember that many people beyond this age are affected.

Some have a life expectancy of only a few months, while other forms of the disease do not affect life expectancy.

In many cases, the signs of the disease will appear gradually. Usually this will only happen on one side of the body, before it gets progressively worse.

Muscle weakness and muscle cramps are common, while swallowing and breathing can also become a difficult task.

Heartbreakingly, motor neurone disease can leave those diagnosed unable to move or communicate with stiff joints.

Although there is research into the causes of motor neuron disease, it is difficult to identify a specific trigger for the disease.

Some five to ten percent of all people with MND have an inherited or genetic form of the disease, while genes may still play a small role in other cases.

Wheel is not the only sports figure affected by MND.

Inspirational English rugby league star Rob Burrow died in June this year after a four-year battle with motor neurone disease.

The Leeds Rhinos legend was diagnosed with MND in 2019, just two years after retiring from a 17-season league career, and his diagnosis helped raise £15m for charity.

Burrows caught up with former Scotland rugby player and fellow MND sufferer Doddie Weir, who revealed in 2017 that he had been diagnosed with MND aged just 46.

Fernando Ricksen was a former Rangers player who was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease in 2013 and tragically passed away after a six-year battle on 18 September 2019.