In Season 2, Episode 2 of the Luca Health Podcast, Sam Peters is joined by former Wales international Alix Popham and Nick O’Leary for a powerful conversation about brain injury, player welfare, and the future of rugby.Recorded at London Welsh as part of Head for Change’s Big Rugby Debate, this episode explores the real-life consequences of head injuries in sport through Nick’s deeply personal story, after a serious brain injury at 16 changed the course of his life. Alix reflects on his own experience in professional rugby, the pressures placed on players, and why the game must do more to protect athletes both on and off the pitch.Together, they discuss the culture of rugby, the hidden impact of brain injury, the importance of education for players, coaches, and parents, and why meaningful change is still urgently needed. It is an honest, emotional, and ultimately hopeful discussion about how rugby can better care for the people who play it without losing what makes the sport so special.

Season 2, Episode 1 of the Luca Health Podcast marks the start of an exciting new chapter. In this episode, Nick sits down with award-winning sports journalist and Concussed author Sam Peters to discuss his long-standing work investigating concussion in rugby, the cultural challenges around player welfare, and why education remains so important across schools, clubs, and the professional game.Sam reflects on how the conversation around concussion has changed since he first began reporting on the issue in 2013, the resistance he faced in bringing these stories to light, and why protecting players is essential to the future of sport. The episode also explores Luca Health’s mission to support safer participation in youth sport and the importance of putting people before performance.This conversation also includes an important announcement: Sam Peters will be joining the Luca Health Podcast as host for Season 2, bringing his journalistic experience, insight, and passion for athlete welfare to the series.

GB and Wales hockey international Fred Newbold joins us to unpack the real journey behind the highlights balancing Oxford academics with elite sport, taking a solo leap to the German Bundesliga, and learning how to build confidence when the “bank of work” resets to zero. We talk identity beyond performance, finding your “super strengths,” and the habits Fred uses to stay grounded while chasing LA 2028.

Tom Mitchell joins Nick Greenhalgh to trace his unconventional rise from Bristol University rugby and Kenya sevens tours to captaining GB to an Olympic silver medal. They dive into the realities of leadership, injury, identity, and why vulnerability and gratitude are performance superpowers—on the pitch, in business, and in life after pro sport.

From Lubersac to Oxfordshire, LPM’s philosophy is reshaping how rugby is taught and played. Tom Phillips takes us inside a camp week where coaches coach, interns learn on the grass, and kids are encouraged to explore space without fear of failure. We discuss the influence of Pierre Villepreux and Lynn Evans, the nuts and bolts of penetration vs. width, why kicking still has a place, and how a joyful environment can lift skill ceilings for every position.

Former England fly-half and Premiership points record holder Charlie Hodgson joins Luca to unpack the mind behind elite performance. Charlie traces his rapid rise at Sale, culture shock (and growth) at Saracens, and why positive, values-led reviews beat the Monday “hairdryer.” He reflects honestly on international rugby’s ruthlessness, injuries that shaped his England journey, and the psychology of goal-kicking when the posts feel like they’re shrinking.

Now building Rugby Buddy, Charlie shares how group coaching helps young players handle selection stress, social media pressure, and setbacks—while developing life skills they can use far beyond the pitch. Practical takeaways include effort standards, grounding techniques under pressure, and creating team buy-in that lasts.

In this episode we sit down with Professor Bill Ribbans and Sam Peters, two voices who have shaped the global conversation around concussion and athlete welfare. Bill, one of the UK’s leading orthopedic surgeons and now Chief Medical Officer at Luca, brings four decades of experience treating athletes from the English National Ballet to Premiership Rugby. Sam, former rugby correspondent for the Mail on Sunday and author of Concussed, launched one of the most influential campaigns in sports journalism, forcing concussion out of the shadows and onto the front pages.

Together they reflect on how attitudes to head injury have changed, from the days when players were applauded for “playing on” to today’s lawsuits, protocols, and research. They explore the pressures on doctors caught between welfare and performance, why culture and governance matter as much as science, and how schools and parents may ultimately decide rugby’s future. At the heart of our conversation is a simple question: how do we protect athletes while keeping the spirit of the game alive?

Northampton School for Boys’ Director of Rugby Phil Beaumont and NSB old boy & trustee Professor Bill Ribbans join us to unpack how a state school built a powerhouse rugby culture; from community-driven coaching and player welfare to academic balance, leadership, and sustained success. We talk preseason CPD, multi-team depth, club partnerships (ONs, Scouts, etc.), Saints pathways, funding realities, and goals for the National Cup & Rosslyn Park Sevens.

Former Cambridge Blue and Harlequins player Glenn Harrison has spent the past three decades shaping young players at St Paul’s School, one of rugby’s historic homes. Now Under Master, he’s also the architect of the “third game”; an innovative format designed to make rugby safer, faster, and more skill-focused without losing the physical challenge that makes the sport so special.In this episode, Glenn reflects on his own playing days, the changing face of schoolboy rugby in 2025, and why rethinking how the game is taught could be key to keeping the next generation engaged in rugby.

In this episode, we sit down with Ella Lovibond, semi-professional rugby player at Bristol Bears, engineering design graduate, and sports officer at the University of Bristol. Ella reflects on her late introduction to rugby, juggling elite sport with academics, the semi-pro athlete experience, and her journey through injuries and concussion recovery. We dive into women’s rugby’s push toward professionalism, the realities behind the scenes, and what it means to be a role model for the next generation.