#9 Heads Up - Interview with Alix Popham

Episode 9: Ed Daly speaks with Alix Popham a former professional Welsh rugby player.
Alix has played with clubs; Newport, Leeds, Scarlets and Brive and has also achieved 33 caps playing with his native team Wales.   

Alix speaks to Ed about his life as a professional rugby player and the impact it has had on his life post retirement. At the young age of 40, he was diagnosed with early onset dementia as a result of many impacts he sustained that he now "can't remember" during his professional career.

Alix talks about the need for better player welfare to protect the players and consequently to protect the game we all love Rugby.

Please support the Head For Change bike ride on the 6th & 7th March 2021
The Head for Rugby Ride Change will kick off the launch of the incredible Head for Change charity.

Set up to support players who have been affected by neurodegenerative disease and their families who have urgent needs which are not being met. With your support Head for Change will help them. The care, advice and support that will be provided will cost money, so please support and take part in their ambitious fundraising programme.
"Head for Change: Rugby Ride Challenge 2021"

https://headforchange.org.uk/events/rugby-ride-challenge


About the podcast:
The Heads-Up Podcast are a series of interviews with ex professional male rugby players, elite female players and coaches about concussion in the sport. The podcasts discuss their early careers and very open commentary about the realities of professional rugby. Heads-Up discusses insights into injury (specifically concussion), how they managed then and how they continue to manage with life after a professional career. The players offer insights into the culture around the game, their concussion experiences and their observations on player welfare, protective equipment and law changes to the game.  

About Ed Daly:
Ed Daly has over thirteen years’ experience in sports coach education and more than five years of lecturing experience in third-level institutes. Ed is currently a PhD researcher focused on investigating concussion identification, concussion management and concussion reduction strategies.

Ed is an active PhD research scientist (Oxford Brookes University) specializing in concussion education, managing athlete workload, objective concussion diagnosis and post concussion management. Currently developing research for the Irish Concussion Research Centre (ICRC) based in GMIT.

Ed is a lecture in Galway Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT) in the area of Sport & Exercise Science within the School of Science & Computing. Programme coordinator for MSc (strength & conditioning).

Before moving to a career in lecturing, Ed worked in professional sports and spent over ten years as a coach with Munster Rugby, coaching age-grade players on the professional player development pathway and in injury incidence reduction via workload management (specializing in the area of strength & conditioning).

Contact Details:
Ed Daly
Email: Ed.Daly@gmit.ie