Our Ambassadors

Dr Dean Burnett is a neuroscientist, author, and former lecturer who has spent years exploring how the brain works and how it can be impacted by injury. So when he was asked to collaborate on the BrainSafe programme, it felt like a perfect fit.

He has always believed that science should be accessible, especially when it comes to something as important as brain health. BrainSafe isn’t about scaremongering or stopping people from playing sport. It’s about understanding the brain, recognising the signs of potential injury and making informed choices that protect long-term wellbeing.

Dr Burnett has shared his insights with schools all over the UK, and many major educational organisations, like The Wellcome Trust, Education Workers Council, and TES.

He believes that if we can give young people the tools to look after their brains the same way they’d look after any other part of their body, we’re giving them a better chance at a healthier future.

Inoke Afeaki is a Tongan rugby union footballer. His usual position is at lock. He is currently the Technical Director at the Singapore Rugby Union.

Jamie Baulch is a Welsh sprint athlete and television presenter. He won the 400 metres gold medal at the 1999 World Indoor Championships. As a member of British 4 × 400 metres relay teams, he won a gold medal at the 1997 World Championships, and silver medal at the 1996 Olympic Games. He represented Wales at the Commonwealth Games where he won an individual silver and a bronze medal in the 4 × 400 metres relay.

“I’ve known Alix for a long time and also a lot of his former teammates. I love the sport of rugby and I’m passionate about the game. So for me it’s an obvious choice to support Alix and Head for Change”

Denis Betts is a retired English rugby league player, known for his time as a second-row forward with Wigan and the England national team. During his career, Betts won numerous titles, including six Challenge Cups and multiple league championships with Wigan. He earned 32 caps for Great Britain and 4 for England. After retiring from playing, Betts moved into coaching, taking roles with the Wigan Warriors and the England national team.

Theo represented England at U18 and U20, and played over 50 first team games for London Irish and was forced to retire at the age of 24 due to multiple concussions.

He is a qualified nutritionist, psychology graduate, coffee shop manager and surfer.

Kevin played rugby league for club and country for 20 years featuring in 4 Challenge cup finals, a Grand final and a World cup final. He retired in 2021 and currently works for various broadcasters as a commentator and pundit. He coaches at grassroots level and is passionate about both codes and making it even better and safer to participate in.

By Fleets – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link

Christopher Bryant is a Welsh politician and former priest who served as Deputy Leader of the House of Commons from 2008 to 2009 and Under-Secretary of State for Europe and Asia from 2009 to 2010. He later served in the Shadow Cabinet as Shadow Culture Secretary and Shadow Leader of the House of Commons from 2015 to 2016. A member of the Labour Party, he has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Rhondda since 2001.

By UK Government – https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/sir-chris-bryant-speech-at-connected-britain-2024, OGL 3, Link

Danny Care is an English rugby union player, playing as a scrum-half for Harlequins and the England national team. He made his debut for England in 2008 and has earned over 90 international caps. At the club level, Care has played more than 300 matches for Harlequins since joining in 2006.

By Charlie from UK – IMG_4744Uploaded by stemoc, CC BY 2.0, Link

Craig Chalmers is a former Scottish and British Lion rugby union footballer for Melrose and former coach of the club. He coached Esher for a couple of years from 2013-2015, but at present is not involved in coaching.

Simon Church is a retired Welsh international footballer who played as a striker. He made his debut for the Wales national team in 2009, earning 38 caps. At the club level, Church played for various teams, including Reading, Charlton Athletic, and MK Dons, over a career spanning more than a decade. He retired in 2018 due to injury.

By Jon Candy from Cardiff, Wales – Shoe-less TurnerUploaded by Kafuffle, CC BY-SA 2.0, Link

Tony spent over 14 years as a professional rugby player – playing for Saracens, Llanelli Scarlets, the Barbarians and Wales. Highlights included winning the then Five Nations in 1994 with Wales, representing the Barbarians in their centenary season.

He played in seven Welsh Cup finals and won the league on three occasions with the Scarlets, as well as being in the historic team that beat the world champions Australia in 1992.

In 1995 he was part of the Saracens squad that won the Tetley Bitter Cup in England. Also, in rugby he has been CEO at London Wasps, Managing Director at Harlequins, CEO at London Scottish and CEO at London Welsh.

Over the past few years, apart from continuing his work in the sport, he has led several performance coaching and business transformation projects with Fourth Dimension Expert Resource.

Alex Corbisiero is an American-born English rugby union International loosehead prop who last played for Premiership side, London Irish Northampton Saints, England and the British and Irish Lions.

By Charlie – https://www.flickr.com/photos/fearless_fred/9756484862/in/set-72157635532119196, CC BY 2.0, Link

Jamie Cudmore is a Canadian former rugby union player. He most recently played for the Top 14 club Oyonnax. Previously, Cudmore played for Llandovery RFC, Llanelli RFC, FC Grenoble and ASM Clermont Auvergne. He has been nicknamed ‘Cuddles’ by his teammates, an ironic moniker considering Cudmore’s tough and ruthless style of play.

By palmipode – originally posted to Flickr as DSC_4530, CC BY 2.0, Link

Wynne Evans, is a Welsh singer and actor, known for his role as the Go Compare man in the Gocompare.com insurance adverts on television in the United Kingdom.

Ian Gough is a Welsh Rugby Union player whose career spanned over 18 senior seasons playing over 450 games for teams including Ospreys, Gwent Dragons, London Irish, Toronto Nomads , Newport and Pontypridd.

He played 64 times for Wales over a 12 year period.

James Haskell is an English former rugby union player who played for Wasps RFC and Northampton Saints in the Aviva Premiership, and internationally for England playing in 77 Test matches and 4 for the British Lions in 2017.

By George Olcott – This file has been extracted from another file, CC BY-SA 2.0, Link

Bernard Jackman is an Irish former rugby union player who played for Connacht, Leinster and Sale Sharks. At international level, he has also played for Ireland.

By Fanny Schertzer – Own work, CC BY 3.0, Link

Matthew Johnson is a Welsh television presenter and personality from Caerphilly, Wales, best known for presenting in the interactive “Hub” on ITV’s This Morning between 2010 and 2013 and for co-hosting Channel 5’s OK! TV. He has also presented The National Lottery Draws and has been a reporter for Surprise Surprise.

By Robert Clarke – FlickrUploaded by stemoc, CC BY 2.0, Link

Simon Jones MBE is a Welsh former cricketer, who played internationally for the England cricket team. Jones played in eighteen Test matches for England, before injury ended his international career. He played county cricket for Glamorgan, Worcestershire, and Hampshire County Cricket Clubs, before re-signing with his first county, Glamorgan, in December 2011 on a two-year deal. His father, Jeff Jones, played cricket for Glamorgan and England in the 1960s.

By Goleyjai96 – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link

Ugochukwu “Ugo” Chiedozie Monye is an English sports pundit and former rugby union player, Monye played 14 times for England, 237 times for his only club, Harlequins, and played twice for the British and Irish Lions on their 2009 tour to South Africa. Monye won both the second division and then the Premiership title with Harlequins, as well as winning the European Rugby Challenge Cup.

By Fearless Fred – Danny and UgoUploaded by Kafuffle, CC BY 2.0, Link

Lewis Moody MBE is a retired English rugby union player who played for Leicester Tigers and Bath Rugby and was part of the 2003 World Cup winning side.

Victuallers, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Peter Fox is the Member of the Senedd for Monmouth and the Welsh Conservative’s Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure, Transport and Rural Affairs. His 13-year term as Leader of Monmouthshire County Council also saw him play an instrumental role in negotiating and securing the UK’s biggest city deal – worth £1.3 billion – for the Cardiff Capital Region, for which he was subsequently awarded an OBE. Mr Fox is also a livestock farmer in Monmouthshire.

Part of the 2005 England 7s squad, Ben played rugby union across the amateur and professional era at Southland (NZ), Caerphilly, London Scottish, Saracens, Henley Hawks, and the Leopards in South Africa.

In addition to playing, Ben is a level 3 coach, studied Strength and Conditioning at the ASCA and worked as a coach with England 7s and as a coaching consultant to the WRU and in Super Rugby with the Melbourne Rebels and the Bulls.

One of the founding directors of the Pacific Rugby Players Welfare (PRPW), Ben is an active member of Head for Change and was part of the team that swam across the Channel to raise funds and awareness of the organisation’s work.

Alix Popham is retired international rugby player, with 33 caps for Wales, played in World Cups in 2003 and 2007 and a 2008 Grand Slam winner. Alix retired in 2011 and in April 2020 was diagnosed with probable CTE and early onset dementia as a result of traumatic brain injury suffered in his rugby career.

Geraint Howell Thomas, OBE is a British professional racing cyclist, who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam Ineos Grenadiers, Wales and Great Britain, competing on both track and road. Like older compatriot and teammate on both track and road, Bradley Wiggins, he is one of the few riders in the modern era to achieve significant elite success as both a track and road rider, with notable victories in the velodrome, in one-day racing and in stage racing.

“I’ve done a lot of work with Alzheimer’s and dementia charities in the past as it’s an illness close to our family. So when I heard about fellow sportsmen suffering with the condition I wanted to do all I could to help, in any small way I can.”

Stevie Ward is an English former professional rugby league footballer who played as a second-row or loose forward for the Leeds Rhinos in the Super League.

By Gerard Barrau – IMG_2552.JPG, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link