Bristol Bears versatile back Henry Purdy is exploring the possibility of going on ‘an adventure somewhere’ in his next step in professional rugby.
Purdy, 29, who predominantly plays on the wing but can cover full-back and outside centre, was one of the more surprising names on the list of players released by Bristol at the end of the season. His misfortune, like so many other Premiership professionals who put their bodies on the line week-in, week-out, was more about a tightening of the belt due to the reduced £5m baseline salary cap than his form, with the winger a regular for the Bears during their high-flying 2019/20 and 2020/21 seasons when he walked away with a Challenge Cup winner’s medal.
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Speaking at the launch of Spabreaks.com ’s Men’s Health Week campaign “Real Men Relax", said, Purdy said: “At the moment I haven’t got anything concrete. My agent is working in the background. Obviously with a few clubs going into liquidation and now Irish as well the player market is a bit flooded and with the salary cap going down as well, it is not an ideal player market.
“I hopefully have a few irons in the fire, potentially America with the MLR, potentially France.”
This summer is not the first time Purdy has had to work his way back to the pinnacle of professional club rugby in England after being released by Gloucester in 2019 having spent five years at Kingsholm. But the flying winger’s spirit for adventure served him well. He explains: “In between Gloucester and Bristol, I had a little trip out to Otago [New Zealand] which was brilliant, it was awesome to step out of the English rugby bubble. I loved it and it rejuvenated me a bit so I wouldn’t be opposed to doing something similar, an adventure somewhere.”
After playing for Otago, Purdy was picked up by Championship club Coventry where he made an instant impression scoring three tries in his five appearances for the club before attracting the eye of Bristol director of rugby Pat Lam.
Now, the fledgling professional league in the United States, Major League Rugby or MLR, could well be calling for Purdy as the sport continues to grow in popularity stateside with former Premiership players like England captain Chris Robshaw, Chris Pennell, Henry Trinder and Ben Foden having already made the transition along with former All Blacks legend Ma’a Nonu and Wallby greats Matt Giteau and Adam Ashley-Cooper.
Purdy said: “I have spoken to a couple of clubs recently and I think people are more and more enthusiastic, the college game is taking off. I have got mates out there I played age-grade rugby with like Mitch Eadie [former Bristol Bears team mate] has gone to Ontario, I have got some friends in San Diego and Chicago, all over really. I think the overall consensus is boys have enjoyed it and it is picking up over there. A friend of mine visited San Diego [Legion] and went to game there the other day and said in terms of a spectacle, the crowd and how they do it with the stadium and the hospitality - the pros of American sport are filtering through in terms of making it a show.
“It will be interesting to see where it goes.”
“The MLR is an exciting opportunity,” Purdy added. “I have got to weigh up whether it fits with me now. I personally feel I have got a couple of years left playing at the top, top level and that would be my priority but with everything going on it is tricky out there at the moment to navigate the unknown.”
While Purdy searches for his new club, the winger continues to work hard behind the scenes to keep his highly tuned body in shape for when the phone rings. His former boss Lam lovingly refers to his explosive wingers as ‘thoroughbreds’ and understands what is required to keep them racing down the wing, with the club building a state-of-the-art £11.5m training centre in Failand in recent years with its own sauna, icebaths and physio rooms. Purdy explains how that spa-like environment is vital for players to be at their best both physically and mentally. He said: “With a sport like rugby if you can get your body back to about 80 percent, the mind will follow and you get yourself back to 95 percent for game day.”
Purdy was speaking as Spabreaks.com, the UK’s leading spa booking and experience agency, launch their Men’s Health Week campaign “Real Men Relax", to highlight the benefits of spa to men of all trades and backgrounds. For more information, visit www.spabreaks.com
