Harlequins captain inspired by brother
Harlequins captain Rob Purdham says he will use the death of his brother Garry as an inspiration as he returns to training late.
Garry Purdham was one of the individuals shot by Derrick Bird in the Cumbria shootings last month but Rob says he is determined to try and move on and use his brother as an inspiration to succeed.
The 'Quins skipper was given immediate compassionate leave after the news and has been spending a great deal of time with friends and family. It has meant that his rugby fitness is behind others at the club but he seems to still have some drive and ambition after nearly quitting the game.
Purdham is going to be a very important player for Harlequins this season and it's important to look at what he can actually achieve in the face of such horrible news. There will always be the chance that his emotions will get the better of him during a rugby game.
Important
Purdham is one of the best players at Harlequins and many have already said that his leadership skills will sky rocket because of the bad news that he has just suffered. When something happens that causes so much negativity it's important to try and draw something positive from it.
His brother Garry also played rugby but at a much lower level and when you combine this with the fact that Rob has just come back from nearly quitting, it could ultimately mean that he has an unbelievable season for the memory of his brother.
It's perfectly understandable that Rob does not want to talk too much about rugby at this moment in time but he is back in the mix and this is important for Harlequins who may have been worrying that they would have to go and find a high profile replacement.
He said: "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. He's left two boys up there, my nephews, my mam and dad and things, all the farm work and things like that."
The Season
The season is going to be very difficult for Harlequins in relation to the fact of how to deal with their captain. They have already said that they will not force him to play or train because he is obviously still grieving.
It's important that they provide everything he needs because if something goes wrong or someone is a little bit too pushy during the early part of the season, then it could well alienate the player.
This would mean losing him when he finally came back to playing regularly. Therefore, the club have to be very careful over the course of the season and make sure that Purdham is given the support he needs when emotions over take.
He 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."
Betting advice
Put the tragedy to one side and think about how Purdham is going to fit in to this Harlequins team this season. He is an important player for them and it's likely he won't play early on. This will reduce their chances of winning games but they still have a very good squad and should be able to cope until their captain is in the right state of mind to play again. They are worth a small outside bet to win the title.
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