Lewis Moody, a former England rugby player, has stated that he was aware of the risks of playing rugby and would do it again if he could. Moody was diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND) last year, a degenerative muscle-wasting condition. Despite this, Moody has acknowledged that rugby has become linked with MND in the public's imagination. He believes that the reward and joy of playing the sport outweighs the risks. There is no proven link between rugby of either sport nor any connection to MND, though elite athletes are more likely to be affected by the condition.