Wales international Alix Popham has retired from rugby after medical advice that he should quit. The ex-Newport, Scarlets and Leeds number eight was seeking a spot with a Welsh region for the forthcoming season following three years in France with Brive. But having undergone reconstruction surgery on his shoulder, the back-rower has been told the injury will prevent him from playing again. The 31-year-old said: "It's incredibly disappointing. But the advice is that my playing days are over and I have to accept what the experts say." Popham, capped 33 times by Wales, moved to Brive from Llanelli Scarlets in 2008 for a six-figure fee. He played at the 2003 and 2007 World Cups, and is now hoping to move into coaching. He continued: "I'm currently assessing my options, but I would love to stay in rugby and I'm going to get involved with Newbridge youth and do my coaching badges and take it from there. "The game has given me so much, I've been all over the world and had lots of amazing experiences and memories to look back on and have also made some great friends. "It's a sad day to realise it's the end of a chapter for me, but it also makes me extremely happy to reflect on the experiences and achievements I've been lucky enough take in during my rugby career."
