Between 2013 and 2017, Sam was the driving force behind the Mail on Sunday’s concussion in rugby campaign and was subsequently short-listed as sports journalist of the year at the 2014 UK Press Gazette Awards.

Sam’s exclusive report in 2014 also revealed the FA’s failure to delivery promised research into the link between heading footballs and dementia following the death of former England player Jeff Astle in 2002.

The Mail on Sunday’s sports editor Alison Kervin said:

‘Sam achieved more in a year than most journalists could hope to achieve in a lifetime.

‘His work has completely transformed sport’s attitude towards head injuries and unquestionably saved lives.’

In 2017 Sam was named one of Rugby World magazine’s five most influential media figures and has twice been shortlisted by the Sports Journalists Association as rugby writer and investigative reporter of the year.

He is married to Debs and has a young daughter, Ella, and runs his own media and events company, Planted.