Purdham nearly quit after brother’s death

Harlequins captain Rob Purdham has revealed how he nearly quit rugby and returned to the family farm in Cumbria following the murder of his brother Garry.

Garry Purdham, 31, was one of 12 people shot dead by Cumbria gunman Derrick Bird on June 2.

Rob Purdham told BBC Sport: “There’s such a big hole left from where my brother was and there’s so much to do.

“I just felt a part of me needed to stay there. I don’t want to try to be him but just to fill the void he left.” Purdham, 30, played with his brother Garry at Whitehaven for three years before moving to the London Broncos, as Harlequins were then known, in 2002.

He was given compassionate leave by Quins to return to Cumbria in the aftermath of the shootings as he helped his family come to terms with the tragedy and arrange his brother’s funeral.

“He’s left two boys up there, my nephews, my mam and dad and things, all the farm work and things like that,” Rob Purdham added.

“Just try to help. But like his wife said, he would have wanted me to do the best in my career and maybe one day go back up to Cumbria, so that’s what we ended up doing.”

LONDON, Friday (AFP)