Alix Popham Reveals Memory Loss and Early Onset Dementia After Suffering 100,000 Sub-Concussions During His Rugby Career in Wales

Alix Popham, a former Welsh rugby international, has opened up about the devastating toll that his 14-year playing career has had on his memory.

Now 45 years old, Popham says that he has no recollection of his rugby career, including pivotal moments, due to the accumulation of more than 100,000 sub-concussions over the course of his career.

Early Onset Dementia Diagnosis and Memory Loss

The former player, who earned 33 caps for Wales and played for several clubs in Wales, England, and France, was diagnosed with early onset dementia in 2020.

Popham’s diagnosis came after years of repeated head impacts, which have now left him with only jerseys and medals as tangible memories of his once-illustrious career.

“My neurologist worked out that I had over 100,000 sub-concussive hits to my brain,” Popham explained during an interview on Newsnight. He went on to describe a sub-concussion as an impact that causes the brain to rattle inside the skull with every blow.

Legal Action Against Rugby’s Governing Bodies

Popham is part of a growing group of around 560 players who are suing rugby’s governing bodies, blaming the sport’s high-impact nature for causing debilitating brain injuries.

The group claims that repeated blows to the head have led to serious conditions, including dementia and depression.

In 2023, the players alleged that 268 of them suffered long-term illnesses due to the physical demands of the game.

Struggling with Memory Loss and Lack of Recall

Despite keeping a collection of match shirts and memorabilia, Popham says he has no vivid recollection of specific moments, like match scores or stadium experiences.

“I’ve got no recollection of that,” he said, emphasizing the extent of his memory loss.

Advocating for Player Welfare and Longer Bans

As the founder of the charity Head for Change, Popham has advocated for better protection of players’ health.

He believes that red card bans should be longer, citing the current two- to three-week bans as insufficient to truly change players’ behavior.

“To me, that just shows player welfare isn’t their number one priority,” he said.

Seeking Treatment in Mexico for Brain Injury Recovery

In 2021, Popham sought experimental brain treatment in Mexico, offered by Neurocytonix, a biotech company specializing in treating incurable neurological conditions.

The treatment focuses on stimulating brain regeneration and has been considered a groundbreaking approach for conditions like traumatic brain injury (TBI) and cerebral palsy.

Hopeful Signs from Treatment and Improving Health

By 2023, Popham began to see improvements in his health.

“I don’t lose my train of thought anywhere near as much,” he said, describing a noticeable change after just a few days of treatment.

He also reported that headaches, which had plagued him throughout his career and retirement, were becoming less frequent.

Popham emphasized the importance of providing hope to former players struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts, many of whom face similar challenges with neurological disorders.

“There are so many ex-players who are struggling, suicidal and depressed, and we have got to give them hope,” he said.

A Personal Journey Toward Healing

The journey to recovery hasn’t been easy for Popham, and it all started when he first noticed something was wrong after he couldn’t remember his way home from a bike ride.

Soon after, he was diagnosed with early onset dementia and probable Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), a condition associated with repeated head trauma.

Popham’s story is a painful reminder of the physical toll that professional contact sports can have on the brain.

A Growing Movement for Change

Popham’s advocacy work and personal experience reflect a larger conversation in rugby and other contact sports about how to address the long-term effects of head injuries.

With more players sharing their stories, it’s becoming increasingly clear that systemic change is needed to protect players’ health and provide support for those affected by neurological conditions like dementia and CTE.

This article was published on TDPel Media. Thanks for reading!

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