| Personal information | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Garry John Purdham | |||||
| Born | c.1979 Egremont, Cumbria, England |
|||||
| Died | 2 June 2010 (aged 31) Gosforth, Cumbria, England |
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| Playing information | ||||||
| Position | Second-row | |||||
| Club | ||||||
| Years | Team | Pld | T | G | FG | P |
| 1999–2004 | Whitehaven | |||||
| 2005–2008 | Workington Town | |||||
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Garry John Purdham (c.1979 – 2 June 2010) was an English professional rugby league player[1] and farmer. He was killed in the 2010 Cumbria shootings.
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Purdham began his professional rugby league career in 1999 with Whitehaven.[2] There he played alongside his brother Rob Purdham.
In 2005 Purdham transferred to the nearby club Workington Town.[3] He struggled with a recurring knee injury at Workington[4] and ultimately required four operations in six years.[5]
Purdham retired from professional rugby league after the 2008 season;[2] however, he returned in 2009 to play amateur rugby league for Egremont Rangers.[6]
On 2 June 2010, Purdham was working with his uncle mending a wire fence on his father's farm near the Red Admiral Hotel at Boonwood, near Gosforth when he was shot and killed.[7][8] He became the ninth murder victim of spree killer Derrick Bird, who killed 12 people and injured 11 others that day before committing suicide.[9] It was claimed by Purdham's neighbours that he was aware of Bird's rampage from radio broadcasts and recognised Bird's vehicle as it passed. It is alleged that Purdham was attempting to subdue Bird with a fence post when he was shot and killed.[10]
In honour of Purdham and the other Cumbria victims, one minute's silence was observed before every rugby league match played in England on the weekend of 5–6 June 2010.[11]
The Workington club has announced that a memorial in honour of Purdham will be established.[12] His funeral and cremation were held on 10 June 2010, attended by over 600 mourners.[13]
Garry Purdham had a wife and two young children. He was the brother of Rob, a player with Harlequins Rugby League,[14] who has played for England five times.[15]