Alix Popham
Encyclopedia
Alix Jon Popham is a Welsh
rugby union
footballer, who plays at Number eight or flanker
and is captain for the 2009 season at Brive
in the French Top 14, having signed from the Llanelli Scarlets in 2008. Popham has also played for Wales
, earning 33 caps to date.
Before moving up to the full Welsh squad, Popham captained the Wales Under-21 team and played for Wales 'A'. He moved from Leeds Tykes
to the Scarlets in the summer of 2005. He made his international debut for Wales in June 2003 against Australia
. He was also capped another three times before being included in Wales' 2003 Rugby World Cup
squad. He played two matches during the tournament.
The following season he played in the 2004 Six Nations Championship
, as well as being capped against South Africa
in June, and against Japan
in November. He played two internationals in 2005, and was capped five times in 2006, in the Six Nations
, and against Romania
in June.
He is well known for his block-busting tackles, including a tackle on Joe Maddock
in a Powergen Cup
semi-final against Bath
in the 2005–06 season. The centre broke through the Llanelli line, and Popham knocked him side-on, knocking the ball out of Maddock's hands in the process. In his next appearance, London Wasps
flanker
Johnny O'Connor
was knocked out after he ran into Popham's chest.
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
footballer, who plays at Number eight or flanker
Flanker (rugby union)
A flanker is a position in the sport of rugby union. Flankers play in the forwards, and are generally classified as either blindside, or openside flankers; numbers six and seven respectively. The name comes from their position in a scrum in which they flank each set of forwards...
and is captain for the 2009 season at Brive
CA Brive
Club Athlétique Brive Corrèze Limousin is a French rugby union team founded in 1910 and based in Brive-la-Gaillarde in the département of Corrèze of the Limousin région . They wear black and white and play in the Stade Amédée-Domenech .- History :The club was created on 15 March 1910 established on...
in the French Top 14, having signed from the Llanelli Scarlets in 2008. Popham has also played for Wales
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
, earning 33 caps to date.
Before moving up to the full Welsh squad, Popham captained the Wales Under-21 team and played for Wales 'A'. He moved from Leeds Tykes
Leeds Tykes
Leeds Carnegie is an English rugby union club, based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, currently playing in the RFU Championship. In recent years, they have bounced between the Premiership and the second-level National Division One, now known as the RFU Championship; they were either promoted or relegated...
to the Scarlets in the summer of 2005. He made his international debut for Wales in June 2003 against Australia
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
. He was also capped another three times before being included in Wales' 2003 Rugby World Cup
2003 Rugby World Cup
The 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth Rugby World Cup and was won by England. Originally planned to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, all games were shifted to Australia following a contractual dispute over ground signage rights between the New Zealand Rugby Football Union and Rugby World...
squad. He played two matches during the tournament.
The following season he played in the 2004 Six Nations Championship
2004 Six Nations Championship
The 2004 Six Nations Championship was the fifth series of the rugby union Six Nations Championship to be held since the competition expanded in 2000 to include Italy. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the hundred-and-tenth series of the northern...
, as well as being capped against South Africa
South Africa national rugby union team
The South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental...
in June, and against Japan
Japan national rugby union team
The Japan national rugby union team represent Japan in international rugby union competitions. Japan is traditionally the strongest rugby union power in Asia but has both enjoyed and endured mixed results against non-Asian teams over the years...
in November. He played two internationals in 2005, and was capped five times in 2006, in the Six Nations
2006 Six Nations Championship
The 2006 RBS 6 Nations Championship was the seventh series of the rugby union Six Nations Championship to be held since the competition expanded in 2000 to include Italy...
, and against Romania
Romania national rugby union team
The Romania national rugby union team , nicknamed The Oaks , is the representative side of Romania in rugby union. Long considered one of the stronger European teams outside the Six Nations, they have participated in all six Rugby World Cups, and currently compete in the first division of the...
in June.
He is well known for his block-busting tackles, including a tackle on Joe Maddock
Joe Maddock (rugby player)
Joe Maddock , is a rugby union winger/fullback who currently plays for Saracens F.C. in the Aviva Premiership....
in a Powergen Cup
EDF Energy Cup
The Anglo-Welsh Cup, currently known for sponsorship reasons as the LV Cup , is an English and Welsh rugby union knock-out cup competition featuring the twelve Aviva Premiership clubs and four Welsh Regions...
semi-final against Bath
Bath Rugby
Bath Rugby is an English professional rugby union club that is based in the city of Bath. They play in the Aviva Premiership league...
in the 2005–06 season. The centre broke through the Llanelli line, and Popham knocked him side-on, knocking the ball out of Maddock's hands in the process. In his next appearance, London Wasps
London Wasps
London Wasps is an English professional rugby union team. The men's first team, which forms London Wasps, was derived from Wasps Football Club who were formed in 1867 at the now defunct Eton and Middlesex Tavern in North London, at the turn of professionalism in 1999...
flanker
Flanker (rugby union)
A flanker is a position in the sport of rugby union. Flankers play in the forwards, and are generally classified as either blindside, or openside flankers; numbers six and seven respectively. The name comes from their position in a scrum in which they flank each set of forwards...
Johnny O'Connor
Johnny O'Connor
Johnny O'Connor is a rugby union player for Connacht in the RaboDirect Pro12, and his position of choice is as a Flanker.He has played for Wasps in the Guinness Premiership before returning to Connacht....
was knocked out after he ran into Popham's chest.