Alix Popham

Having made more than 250 professional appearances across his distinguished career, Alix Popham is a legend of Welsh rugby who also played domestically in England and France. Known for his block-busting tackles, he was a heavy hitter who played with his heart on his sleeve.

Born 17 October 1979, Alix Popham began his playing career with Newport in 1998. After making almost 100 appearances for the club, he moved to Leeds Tykes in 2002. During his three years in England, he was highly successful and he helped Leeds capture the Anglo-Welsh Cup.

However, after a successful spell in Leeds, Alix Popham returned to Wales in 2005 when he joined Llanelli Scarlets, where he stayed until 2008. From there, he moved to Brive in France, where he stayed until his retirement in 2011. During this period, he also captained the side.

Thanks to his long and distinguished career, Alix Popham was also capped 33 times by Wales between 2003 and 2008. Prior to this, he’d also captained the Wales U21 team and had played for Wales ‘A’.

Sadly, at the end of the 2010-11 season, Alix Popham was forced to retire through injury. Then, in April 2020, he was diagnosed with early onset dementia. As part of his diagnosis, doctors estimated that he had suffered from up to 100,000 sub-concussions over the course of his professional career. As a result, alongside several other former professionals, Alix Popham filed legal claims against the game’s governing authorities.