At only 43 years old, the third line with 33 caps between 2003 and 2008 is, like other former players, suffering for two years from chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a neurodegenerative disease which can occur in people with a history of head trauma. multiple.
Popham fears more former players will suffer long-term brain damage unless strong action is taken by rugby's governing bodies.
Read alsoRugby: suffering from dementia at 42, former All Black Hayman is “at the bottom of the bucket”
"
The neurologist told me that any player who has played more than four years of high-level rugby will suffer from brain disorders,
" he told AFP.
"
Unless
(world rugby bodies)
tackle the problem head-on with the number of contacts allowed during training matches and throughout the season, mums and dads won't be sending more their children in training
, worries Popham.
I have three daughters and luckily they didn't come to me to tell me they wanted to play rugby.
»
Two lawsuits
The former Brive player (2008-2011) is part, like former English hooker Steve Thompson, of a group of former internationals who have taken legal action against the international, English and Welsh rugby federations.
Popham and Thompson, world champion in 2003, also announced last week, alongside other former players, their intention to file a complaint against the French Federation and the National League for breach of security and information obligations on the concussions.
Popham expects more than 500 former and current rugby players to join this legal action, although there were just 15 last week.
“
Many players in Pro D2 and lower leagues were paid by the number of matches played
, he laments.
They were playing despite injuries and head trauma.
Also, there were so many foreign players playing in France and still playing in France, so the number of complainants will increase a lot.
»
The Newport native first realized he was having memory issues in 2019, when he got lost while on a bike ride near his house.
" Frontage
"
measures
Popham now says he is "
pissed off and frustrated
."
According to him, the measures put in place last year by the International Federation to reduce contact with the head to fifteen minutes per week in training are "
frontage
" since they are "
recommendations and not obligations
".
Conversely, the NFL, American football championship, imposes these rules since 2011.
“
These guidelines are still being overridden by many teams,” Popham criticizes.
Rugby could be much safer than it is today.
»
The former third center line or flanker believes that "
mistakes
" come and go in world rugby, citing in particular the recent example of Australian scrum-half Nic White, who was allowed to return to play in an autumn test match against Ireland when he seemed unable to do so.
“
They don't learn.
These cases happen in matches that we watch, but they are increased tenfold in less upscale meetings.
»
In addition to concussions, which have been publicized for several years, "
there are sub-concussive impacts, which are called silent killers
", explains Popham, whom his neurologist compares to a leaky faucet.
"
You have to clearly explain all the terminology, everything that's going on," he says.
Concussions, in the 1950s and 60s, we called it traumatic brain injury.
If we said that, moms and dads would sit up and listen.
According to Popham, this problem must be tackled now and not later, because “
players are at unnecessary risk.
»