Former Hawke's Bay rugby star Jarrod Cunningham, diagnosed with motor neuron disease, is not letting the potentially fatal illness get in the way of wedding plans.

London-based Cunningham, who was diagnosed in June as suffering from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is to marry his British fiancee, Carrie Gustavson, next year.

Cunningham says he has been overwhelmed by the support offered to him and his family since being diagnosed with ALS. He plans to help others fight the disease which causes muscular wasting and paralysis.

Cunningham, who scored a record 1007 points for the Magpies from 1990 to 1998 has not ruled out returning to Hawke's Bay but intends to stay in the United Kingdom for treatment of the disease.

Extensive research is being done in the UK and the United States and he wants to be in close contact with the researchers.

Two committees have been established to help Cunningham and other ALS PALS (People with ALS) build a positive ALS website and to raise funds to support PALS. One committee is based in London and is headed by London Irish teammates Glenn Delaney and Neal Hatley, while the other was formed in Hawke's Bay at the weekend.

Former All Black and Western Samoa representative Steve Bachop and Damon Harvey, a former rugby journalist with the Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune and Auckland Blues communications manager, head the committee.

Both Bachop (based in Wellington) and Havelock North's Harvey lived near Cunningham in London and, like many friends and family, have been in constant contact with him.

Other committee members include Cunningham's father, Milton, sister Jane, manager Bob Mitchell, close friends Conrad and Verena Waitoa, former All Black Stu Forster and representative teammates Simon Tremain and Greg Halford.

"We are all very close to Jarrod - he is determined to live life to the full and remain positive, and we want to be able to support his efforts," says Bachop, who played alongside Cunningham for a number of seasons in New Zealand and London.

Cunningham had spoken to the American ALS support group and learned that experts had been able to reverse all but one symptom in other cases "and that has given JC inspiration", Bachop said.

Committee plans for 2003 involve high-profile sports identities and businesspeople.

A fundraising dinner is scheduled for February and a match between two invitation teams is planned for Napier's McLean Park in June.

Former All Black No 8 Zinzan Brooke has already offered his support, as have All Blacks including Tana Umaga, Jonah Lomu and Christian Cullen, Harvey says.

"Jarrod has found there are too many negative reports on ALS and he is determined to see this change.

"He is remaining positive and he wants to assists other sufferers in keeping a positive outlook," Harvey said.

"Every day is a challenge but I have a good crew of people around me ," Cunningham says.