Ahead of the Game - Tackling the Future of Sport
Wed 12 Feb 2025 6:15 PM - 10:00 PM
St Paul's School, SW13 9JT
Description
Join award-winning author Sam Peters, along with an expert line up of speakers, exploring the future of sport in schools.
On February 12th, 2025 the journalist and former captain of both St Paul’s School First XV and First XI, will host an evening of panel discussions promoting safer participation in sport.
Peters, whose latest book Concussed was shortlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year before winning the UK Sports Book Award for Outstanding Sports Writing, has spent two decades campaigning for improved player welfare in rugby.
Former England World Cup winning coach Sir Clive Woodward said ‘Sam’s work has undoubtedly made sport safer’ while Sam’s former First XV team-mate Dan Snow said ‘Peters’ work is in the greatest tradition of British journalism: fearless, unstoppable and committed to righting a profound wrong’.
Sam’s co-host for the evening will be renowned sports writer, author and journalist Alison Kervin OBE, who as Mail on Sunday sports editor commissioned Sam’s work on the paper’s groundbreaking concussion campaign.
Sam and Alison will be joined by expert speakers including former professional athletes, sports medics and administrators, connected by their mutual love of sport and those who participate in it.
The event will include drinks and canapes. Your ticket price includes a signed copy of Concussed - Sport's Uncomfortable Truth.
Venue: The Wathen Hall, St Paul's School, Lonsdale Road, Barnes, London SW13 9JT
Speaker line up
Sam Peters
An award-winning journalist and media campaigner with 19 years' experience working across national newspapers, Sam spearheaded The Mail on Sunday's acclaimed concussion campaign, shortlisted for the Cudlipp Prize in 2014. In 2023 Sam published Concussed - Sport's Uncomfortable Truth which was shortlisted for the for William Hill Sport's book of the year before winning UK Sports Book Award for Outstanding Sports Writing.
Alison Kervin OBE
Alison Kervin became the first female sports editor of a national newspaper when she took over the reigns at the Mail on Sunday newspaper in 2013. She ran the sports desk for eight years, and was awarded an OBE in the 2017 New Year's Honours list for her achievements, most notably her concussion campaign which ran for five years, pressuring the authorities and sports’ governing bodies into taking head injuries seriously.
Prof. Mike Loosemore MBE
Professor Loosemore MBE is a lead consultant in Sport and Exercise Medicine, treating all types of sportspeople and children for musculoskeletal issues, concussions, and sports injuries. He is at the forefront of research and development in the prevention and treatment of concussions, and he believes that exercise is a highly effective tool in therapeutic intervention, disease prevention, and treatment of chronic non-communicable diseases. He travels extensively with national squads to Olympic and Commonwealth Games, and World and European Championships.
Cath Bishop
Cath is a triple Olympian, a former diplomat, and now a leadership and culture coach working with leaders across business, sport and education to raise performance, transform cultures and develop effective leadership and teams. Her book 'The Long Win' was published in 2020 and acclaimed by both business and sports audiences.
As an Olympic rower, Cath competed at three Olympic Games. Highlights include winning the World Championships in 2003 and an Olympic silver medal in 2004. As a diplomat for over a decade, Cath specialised in conflict issues and negotiations. Alongside her work advising leadership teams and working on Executive Education programmes at the Judge Business School, Cambridge, Cath now writes a monthly column for The Guardian on topics relating to culture in sport, and acts as an independent expert and member of the Cultural Oversight Board of British Gymnastics advising them on culture change following the Whyte Review into abuse in gymnastics.
Tom Kohler-Cadmore
Tom Kohler-Cadmore is a professional cricketer who plays for Somerset, Welsh Fire, Sharjah Warriors and Sydney Thunder. He is a right-handed batsman who also bowls right-arm off spin. On 1 December 2021, he made the highest individual score in T10 history, scoring 96 off just 39 balls against Bangla Tigers in the Abu Dhabi T10 League.
In 2022 he spent 6 months on the sideline from professional cricket having suffered with a serious concussion, sustained whilst playing for Peshawar Zalmi in the Pakistan Super League.
Dr Lisa Ryan
Dr Lisa Ryan has an extensive background in working with the sports industry and providing training and education in sport and nutrition sciences. She has a first-class honours degree in Nutritional Science and a PhD in Nutritional Biochemistry from University College Cork. Current areas of research include functional foods, metabolic health, food entrepreneurship and the new ‘Irish Concussion Research centre’ in ATU, Galway.
Nick Greenhalgh
Nick is a former professional rugby player who had to retire aged just 20 because of injury. Following 6 years at a startup and then after completing an MBA at Oxford University, he co-founded Luca Health, with the simple but ambitious mission of making “sport safer, for all”. Luca’s innovative concussion management solution does this for schools by keeping pupils safe and stakeholders informed by combining a best in class medical service with cutting edge technology.
David Bartlett
David is COO at Your Brain Health, a network of clinicians dedicated to improving brain health through advanced education, clinical support and baseline screening. David is also Men's Team Physiotherapist with the Welsh Fire cricket team in The Hundred.
Prof. Willie Stewart
Willie is a consultant neuropathologist at the University of Glasgow and a leading expert in brain injury in sport. He published the famous FIELD study in 2019, which demonstrated that professional footballers are 5 times more likely to suffer from dementia than the normal population. His influential work has triggered football authorities across the world to listen to these serious health risks and his ongoing work has ignited change.
Sam Smith
Sam Smith helps visionary leaders create the life that they are too scared to admit they want, whilst also writing a book on what happens when you trust your inner wisdom. His clients live in alignment with who they truly are, beneath the false identities they created to get by in life. They live full lives in absolute integrity with who they want to be. The results are extraordinary. Sam played professional rugby for Harlequins and Worcester Warriors before suffering a career ending injury at 26.
Prof. Bill Ribbans
Bill Ribbans is a Consultant Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgeon and Professor of Sports Medicine at the University of Northampton. He has been involved medically in elite sport since 1981.
As a surgeon, he has looked after numerous professional sporting organisations and athletes – both nationally and internationally. As a sports doctor, he has worked pitch side for many teams including Northampton Saints rugby, England senior men’s rugby, Northampton Town FC and Northamptonshire CCC. He has been responsible for the assessment and care of head injuries in various NHS positions for over 30 years.
We are proud to host this event in collaboration with St Paul's School
Neil Rollings
Neil Rollings was Director of Sport and Head of Rugby at four schools over a 21 year career in schools. This included ten years coaching the 1st XV at Sedbergh School. He was also Head Coach of North Under 18 and England Schools’ President’s XV, and coached in the National League for 15 years. He now works with schools to develop sports programmes and appoint Directors of Sport.
He is former Chairman of the Professional Association of Directors of Sport in Independent Schools, member of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on a Fit and Healthy Childhood and Course Director of the University of Buckingham MA programme in Leading Sport in Schools. Previously a member of the RFU Coaching Committee, he is now heavily involved with the RFU Schools and Partners Advisory Group (SPAG).
Our event partners include:
Our charity partner for this event is Head for Change and we will donate 5% of any profits to them
If you have any questions about this event, please email mark@concussed.media