Anthony Purpura
{{Short description|American rugby union player}}
{{more footnotes needed|date=December 2011}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2011}}
{{Infobox rugby biography
| name = Anthony Purpura
| image = Tony Purpura Churchill Cup 2010 vs Russia.jpg
| caption =
| birth_name = Anthony Purpura
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1986|11|11}}
| birth_place = Lawrence, Massachusetts
| death_date =
| death_place =
| height = {{height|m=1.90}}
| weight = {{convert|118|kg|lb stlb|0|abbr=on}}
| position = Prop
| amatyears1 = 2006–2007
| amatyears2 = 2007–2017
| amatyears3 = 2017
| amatteam1 = Mystic River
| amatteam2 = Boston R.C.
| amatteam3 = Old Blue
| ru_amupdate =
| repteam1 = {{nrut|USA}}
| repyears1 = 2010-
| repcaps1 = 10
| reppoints1 = 5
| ru_ntupdate = 6 July 2017
| years1 = 2018
| years2 = 2019–
| clubs1 = San Diego Legion
| clubs2 = New England Free Jacks
| apps1 = 10
| apps2 = 2
| points1 = 0
| points2 = 0
| ru_clubupdate =
| ru_currentclub = New England Free Jacks
| super1 =
| superyears1 =
| superapps1 =
| superpoints1 =
| super14currentclub =
| super14update =
| province1 =
| provinceyears1 =
| provinceapps1 =
| provincepoints1 =
| ru_provinceupdate =
| repsevenscomp1 =
| repsevensyears1 =
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| coachteams1 =
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| university = University of Maine
}}
Anthony Purpura (born November 11, 1986, in Lawrence, Massachusetts) is a professional American rugby union player who plays prop for the USA Eagles XV side. He currently plays for the New England Free Jacks in Major League Rugby (MLR).
Purpura had a successful club career for top-level teams such as Old Blue R.F.C., Boston Rugby Club and Mystic River Rugby Club.
Other Club affiliations include University of Maine and Mid Canterbury Rugby Football Union and as assistant coach at Harvard University.
Club rugby career
Purpura was introduced to the sport of rugby by a roommate while in school at Avon Old Farms, where he was a member of the football team and standout All-Star wrestler.{{cite web|first=Dave|last=Dyer|url=https://www.eagletribune.com/sports/running-with-rugby/article_bda54b51-10e8-5720-9303-744dd8d81510.html|title=Running with Rugby|date=13 March 2018|accessdate=27 June 2010|website=The Eagle-Tribune}} In 2005 he entered the University of Maine as a recruit for the football team, but give it up the sport to join the U. Maine rugby club. Between 2005 and 2009 Purpura served as co captain and president of the club and helped the Black Bears to perhaps one of their best seasons, finishing the fall ranked 7th in the country.{{cite web|first=Dana|last=Bulba|url=http://www.cstv.com/sports/c-rugby/uwire/112907aaa.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190702023236/http://www.cstv.com/sports/c-rugby/uwire/112907aaa.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 2, 2019|title=Improved play leads men's rugby to an undefeated 5-0 regular season|date=29 November 2007|accessdate=1 July 2019|website=www.cstv.com}} Throughout his four-year career at Maine, Purpura led the team to a 17–2–1 record.{{cite web|last=Staff|url=https://www.gocrimson.com/sports/wrugby/coaches/purpura_anthony?view=bio|title=Coaches Bio: Anthony Purpura|date=|accessdate=1 July 2019|website=www.gocrimson.com}}
While still in college, Purpura first transitioned to the next level of rugby with Division 1 Mystic River alongside former Eagle front rower Jake Sprague. In 2007 he made the jump to Boston RFC, then part of the Rugby Super League. After nearly a decade with Boston, Purpura had a short stint with Old Blue.
=San Diego Legion=
In March 2018, Purpura signed with the San Diego Legion of Major League Rugby.{{cite web|first=Doug|last=Coil|url=https://djcoilrugby.com/2018/03/13/san-diego-legion-tony-purpura//|title=San Diego Legion Sign Eagle Prop Tony Purpura|date=13 March 2018|accessdate=1 July 2019|website=www.djcoilrugby.com}}
=New England Free Jacks=
Purpura signed with the New England Free Jacks in 2019.
USA Rugby career
Purpura was selected to tour with the USA Eagles squad for the Autumn 2010 tour of Europe and made his international debut in June 2010 was against Russia.
After a nearly seven-year hiatus, Purpura was again named to the Eagles roster as a starter against Uruguay on 4 February 2017. Two weeks later, he again earned a starting position in the front row and scored his first test match try in the USA's 51–34 victory y Canada on 18 February in Round 3 of the 2017 Americas Rugby Championship.
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.eaglesxv.com/players/anthony-purpura Player Profile eaglesxv.com]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20110727183011/http://web.usarugby.org/cgi-bin/viadesto/natteams/mnt/15ProfileDetail.pl?playerId=437 Player Profile USA Rugby]
{{Rugby union in the United States}}
{{National rugby teams}}
{{Churchill Cup}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Purpura, Anthony}}
Category:United States international rugby union players
Category:San Diego Legion players
Category:New England Free Jacks players
Category:Mystic River Rugby players
Category:Avon Old Farms alumni
Category:Sportspeople from Lawrence, Massachusetts
Category:Rugby union players from Massachusetts
{{US-rugbyunion-bio-stub}}