Science & technology | Brainslammed

Evidence is growing that playing contact sports can lead to long-term brain injuries

Rugby players are taking their sport’s governing bodies to court, alleging harm

2EDCR01 Rugby Union - England v Wales RBS Six Nations Championship 2008 - Twickenham Stadium, London, England - 2/2/08 Steve Borthwick of England battles Alun Wyn Jones (L) and Alix Popham of Wales  Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Paul Harding
Image: Alamy

Meeting Nelson Mandela should be a high point in anyone’s life. But Alix Popham, a Welsh former rugby player who once met the legendary president of South Africa before a match, has no memory of the encounter. Later that day during the game, he was struck so hard on the head that he suffered a severe concussion, an injury in which his brain was thrown around inside his skull.

This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline “Brainslammed”

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