I had the privilege of attending the Marlborough LitFest talk by Sam Peters, author of ‘Concussed: Sport’s Uncomfortable Truth’, given in the Town Hall on Sunday afternoon. As the Chairman of the Marlborough Rugby Club, I felt some nervous anticipation ahead of the event, given that the focus of the talk (and the book) would be about the game I love.
Sam was accompanied on stage by Alix Popham, a former Wales international rugby player whose awesome tackling was legendary. Alix now suffers from early-onset dementia and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) – a brain condition linked to repeated head injuries and blows to the head. This was going to be a tough afternoon, I thought.
Sam began with a video montage and then read from his book, focussing on an incident he witnessed as a sports journalist in a 2013 international rugby match. The reading painted a stark picture of all that was wrong with the game, and Sam posed the question “has rugby outgrown itself?” Today’s rugby players are bigger, faster, stronger and their collisions are bigger, noisier, and obviously more impactful than they have ever been. Sam suggested that what had been the “beautifully brutal” game of rugby may have “morphed into something it was never meant to be”. He set out in unequivocal terms why he had written the book and described his fight to “educate and reform” all those involved in rugby.
And then Sam and Alix had a lively and truly positive dialogue on the stage, captivating the audience. Centred around rugby (for obvious reasons), their wide-ranging discussion sought to answer the question “Why do people do it?” They both evoked that terrible ambiguity of the ‘warrior spirit’ that invades many sportsmen and women at the highest levels – where they strive to be the best, they feel indestructible and push themselves to their limits, almost at all costs. And they addressed the “What can be done about it?” question as well. Key to this, they both agreed, is the need for a proper and righteous example to be set at the top of the governing bodies of all sports – an example that must then be followed through ruthlessly down to the grassroots level. They acknowledge the good work that is already being done about rugby in schools and in Clubs like Marlborough’s, but they are at pains to point out that this is a ‘bottom up’ approach and can only be part of the solution.
Alix had a typical boyhood rugby experience at his local club. A talented youngster, he made rapid progress through the ranks to first class club and international stardom, where he was a fierce competitor and one of the deadliest tacklers in the game. He spoke to all of us in the Town Hall in the most open, honest, forthright, and incredibly brave manner. He described how his years of rugby eventually took their toll, and yet he remains truly positive and forward-looking. He is not down-hearted, nor is he full of hate. He loves rugby, but he is pressing for everyone to “be honest about it”. He is determined to continue to work to make it better, safer, and enjoyable for all. He was an incredible rugby player. He is now an ambassador for the game and for his rugby-related charities (notably Head for Change – Pioneering positive change for brain health), which are founded on the principle that ‘sport is good for you’. An immense human, he sets a most remarkable personal leadership example.
Alix’s arguments for changes in rugby are compelling. He described how the training regime at the professional end of the game could be modified to limit the time players spend ‘in contact’. He is keen to see changes in the youth game, such as starting contact later (i.e. not before the age of 14) and could see a size- / weight-based programme for juniors such as that already in use in New Zealand. He stressed how the protocols around, especially, concussion (or ‘traumatic brain injury’ as this is a more accurate way of describing it) can and should be adapted and then adhered to uncompromisingly. In match-play, he would like to see the ball played faster from the breakdown and substitute players only being allowed as injury replacements. He envisages a culture change in the game that would compel all staff, notably the medical teams, to revise their approach and might even see players requiring a licence to play, akin to the documentation required by boxers.
Sam’s message is all about an uncomfortable truth. But he sets it in the context that “despite everything, the sport of rugby is fantastic!” As the game has evolved, the risks have changed. Thus, Sam insists, rather than being risk averse and seeking to stop activity, we need to work harder to understand those risks. Rugby, like all sporting and outdoor activity, can never be 100% safe. The future of the game relies on everyone making an informed choice and on making sure declarations like ‘player welfare is our number one priority’ are not empty statements. On this particular issue (and in the other issues that dog sport these days) it is clear that silence will be seen as complicity. Sam admitted to having faced challenges in getting his point across, but it was abundantly clear from his presentation that he will continue to be “relentless about what is right.” It is certain that his is the voice that must be heard.
In spite of my initial concerns, I was buoyed a most stimulating and uplifting hour and a bit in the Town Hall. I was thoroughly impressed by the positivity that Sam and Alix brought to this subject and I was very grateful for the clear, lucid, and compelling proposals for righting the wrongs in the current game put forward by them both. Indeed, Sam and Alix summed up with some sage advice for those of us engaged in sport – “err on the side of caution and don’t be reckless”, which I took away as good guidance for life in general!
Both were extremely generous with their time and their engagement in questions from the audience – we were a broad mix of sports fans, health and education professionals, concerned parents and grandparents, and a good number of coaching staff from the Marlborough and Pewsey Rugby Clubs. Only the time pressures of the LitFest’s next speakers brought an end to what had been a fantastic event. Thank you to Sam and to Alix in particular, but thanks to all those who have helped deliver this fifteenth annual Marlborough LitFest in such style.
Howard Wilkinson
Laura Cumming at Marlborough LitFest
