Alix Popham – CamperKing Ambassador
Alix Popham is a Welsh Grand Slam-winning former professional rugby player.
Starting his career in 1998 for his local club, Newport RFC, Alix amassed nearly 100 games for the Black & Ambers before crossing the border and making the move into the top tier of English rugby by joining Leeds Tykes in 2002.
Not long after his move to Yorkshire, Alix achieved something that many Welsh men and women can only dream about and made his senior international debut for Wales against Australia. Having previously captained his nation’s side at under-21 level and played for Wales A, Alix’s call-ups to the senior squad continued throughout 2003 with him making two appearances for Wales during their run to the World Cup quarter-finals.
After over 50 appearances for Leeds, Alix returned to his beloved Wales and signed for Llanelli Scarlets. He remained in Carmarthenshire for a further 62 appearances before earning a move to France and signing with Top-14 club, Brive. It was at Brive that Alix was named captain in 2009. However, injury cut short his career at the end of the 2010-11 season.
Throughout his 13-year playing career, Alix played over 300 games for club and country, earning 33 caps for Wales, featuring in 2 World Cups and winning the Grand Slam with the Welsh team in 2008, in the process.
After retiring, Alix became an avid cyclist and has taken part in many charity events including completing the 7-day west coast to east coast ride, Race Across America, 3 times. More recently, he has taken up triathlons, for which he has had to learn to swim properly!
In April 2020, Alix was tragically diagnosed with early-onset dementia.
Following Alix’s diagnosis, he was inspired to set up the charity, HeadforChange, alongside his wife Melanie, Dr Judith Gates, and Dr Sally Tucker. With this charity, it is Alix’s mission to pioneer positive change for brain health in rugby, football, and across sport as a whole.
At the end of 2022, Alix came to visit us at CamperKing and discuss his upcoming challenges and projects to raise funds and awareness for HeadforChange. We are now proud to call Alix Popham a CamperKing Ambassador and support him as he embarks on many challenges for his charity. These challenges include ‘Head to Edinburgh’ – a five-day cycle from Cardiff’s Principality Stadium to Edinburgh’s Murrayfield Stadium in time for the Six Nations clash between Scotland and Wales, an epic ride from London Welsh to the Rugby World Cup in Lyon alongside Tour de France winner, Geraint Thomas, and ‘The Big Rugby Swim’ – a race between the two rugby codes across the English Channel, the latter of which will feature in an exclusive Sky Sports documentary.
