By Scott Mayo
From playing in front of 80,000 fans at Twickenham Stadium to stepping onto the courts at a David Lloyd Swansea pickleball session, the contrast could not have been greater for former Welsh rugby international Leigh Davies. Yet somewhere between those two worlds, Davies discovered something far more important than another sporting challenge. He found a new lease of life.
These days, Davies is a self-confessed pickleball fanatic, playing up to five times a week with the same enthusiasm and intensity that once carried him onto some of rugby’s biggest stages. However, the journey that brought him here has been anything but straightforward.
Like many professional athletes, retirement from rugby left Davies at a crossroads. There was no real blueprint for what came next. No roadmap or support system guiding him through life after elite sport. Wanting to remain connected to the game, he moved into coaching with clubs and universities, while also retraining in fitness and conditioning qualifications. Rugby had shaped his identity for so long that stepping away from it completely never felt like an option.
But underneath it all, something did not feel right.
In 2020, Davies underwent a brain scan which revealed damage to several neurological pathways, potentially linked to the repeated head impacts sustained throughout his rugby career. The news was difficult to process, but at the same time strangely comforting. For a long period, Davies had felt as though he was losing parts of himself. There were days where getting out of bed felt like a challenge and moments where his confidence and sense of agency had almost disappeared entirely. Covid only amplified those feelings further.
Davies admitted that finally receiving an explanation for what he had been experiencing brought him a sense of relief. Until then, he had begun questioning himself and fearing that he was simply losing himself. Instead, there was now an understanding of why things had become so difficult.
Despite the diagnosis, Davies was determined not to let it define him. Through persistence, medication, hydrotherapy, swimming and rehabilitation, he slowly started rebuilding both physically and mentally. Progress came in small stages at first, but gradually the confidence returned. Eventually, he told his consultant that he wanted to get back into sport. Around the same time, he kept seeing videos of something called pickleball appearing online. His consultant encouraged him to pursue it and advised him to continue pushing himself physically and mentally.
So, Davies turned up to a local Wednesday evening pickleball session.
For a man who had represented Wales in front of packed stadiums at places like Principality Stadium and Twickenham, it may sound strange to say he felt nervous walking into a leisure centre sports hall. But after everything he had experienced with his health, this was one of the first completely new environments he had entered, and it carried a very different type of pressure.
Coincidentally, on that very first visit, Davies bumped into an old friend from youth rugby who he had not seen for nearly 30 years. Through pickleball, that friendship has since been rekindled and has become one of the unexpected joys of this chapter in his life. The pair now regularly play together several times a week.
Davies admitted that getting into pickleball required a huge amount of humility and self-awareness. As someone shaped by high-performance environments and elite competition, he was used to pushing for excellence and winning. Suddenly, he found himself struggling at times with balance and coordination because of his health challenges. It forced him to completely reframe how he approached sport.
From the very beginning, Davies told himself to simply enjoy the process. Enjoy learning. Enjoy meeting people. Enjoy trying something new. The competitive edge never disappeared, because athletes like Davies are naturally wired that way, but now the competition became more internal than external. It was less about proving something to others and more about proving to himself that he could continue progressing.
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After beginner sessions, Davies would often head upstairs to the gym and work on areas such as balance, coordination and movement patterns. His goal was not perfection. It was simply becoming slightly better than the previous session. Every improvement, no matter how small, mattered.
Davies was also quick to acknowledge the people around him who supported him throughout the journey. Initially, he admitted he was hesitant about entering tournaments, but encouragement from others, including mixed doubles partner Emma Jones, helped give him the confidence to take that next step. From help with bookings to simply having someone there for reassurance and accountability, those relationships became hugely important.
That support eventually led Davies to enter the Welsh Nationals before later competing at the English Open. One tournament memory in particular still stands out above all others.
At last year’s English Open, Davies entered the Men’s Singles 3.0 35+ category. To his own surprise more than anyone else’s, he walked away with the gold medal. Remarkably, Davies described that achievement as one of the proudest moments of his sporting life, even alongside the incredible experiences of representing Wales internationally in rugby.
That statement says everything about both the man and the sport.
Pickleball has given Davies something entirely new. A fresh challenge, a fresh community and a fresh purpose. For someone who had already experienced the highest levels of professional sport, it has allowed him to rediscover the excitement of learning, improving and competing all over again through a completely different lens.
Davies even spoke about the possibility of pushing for a place in the Welsh senior pickleball squad ahead of future European Championships. And honestly, Welsh pickleball would be lucky to have him. Beyond the medals and sporting pedigree, people like Leigh Davies bring something invaluable to a team environment. Experience under pressure. Perspective. Resilience. Leadership.
A true warrior on the court, but an even better human being away from it.
Further Reading
- Latest pickleball news from around the world
- Tournament coverage and results
- Rankings and player profiles
- Regional pickleball coverage
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Chris Beaumont
Founder and Editor-in-ChiefChris Beaumont is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of World Pickleball Magazine. Chris follows the global game closely, reporting on the latest news, developments, stories and tournaments from all five continents. He also hosts the World Pickleball Podcast, interviewing people at…
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