Gloucester Hartpury Women

Gloucester Hartpury Women

Leagues Played
England Women's Premiership 17
Links
Wikipedia

Results

England Women's Premiership 01/18 15:05 - Gloucester Hartpury Women v Ealing Trailfinders Women W 33-31
England Women's Premiership 01/05 12:45 - Bristol Bears Women v Gloucester Hartpury Women W 17-40
England Women's Premiership 10/27 12:45 - Saracens Women v Gloucester Hartpury Women L 49-38
England Women's Premiership 10/06 11:45 - Gloucester Hartpury Women v Leicester Tigers Women W 57-29
England Women's Premiership 06/22 14:00 - Gloucester Hartpury Women v Bristol Bears Women W 36-24
England Women's Premiership 06/09 15:30 - Gloucester Hartpury Women v Exeter Chiefs Women W 50-19
England Women's Premiership 05/25 11:00 - Saracens Women v Gloucester Hartpury Women L 33-31
England Women's Premiership 05/12 13:45 - Loughborough Lightning Women v Gloucester Hartpury Women W 26-61
England Women's Premiership 03/08 19:45 - Gloucester Hartpury Women v Harlequins Women W 57-24
England Women's Premiership 03/02 15:05 - Gloucester Hartpury Women v Exeter Chiefs Women W 31-24
England Women's Premiership 12/30 14:30 - Harlequins Women v Gloucester Hartpury Women W 19-31
England Women's Premiership 12/16 15:00 - Exeter Chiefs Women v Gloucester Hartpury Women W 27-31

Wikipedia - Gloucester-Hartpury

Gloucester-Hartpury Women's Rugby Football Club are an English women's rugby union club based in Hartpury, Gloucestershire. They are the unified women's team of Gloucester Rugby and Hartpury University R.F.C. They were founded in 2014 and since 2017 they have played in Premiership Women's Rugby.

History

2014–2017: Formation & Early Years

In 2014, Gloucester Rugby and Hartpury College came together to found a women's team to be run under the jurisdiction of Gloucester Rugby to capitalise upon the popularity of women's rugby in the area. Hartpury College already had a women's team competing in the BUCS rugby union leagues.

In their first year, Gloucester-Hartpury only played friendly matches, some of which were at Gloucester Rugby's home ground Kingsholm Stadium, whilst the Rugby Football Union decided which league to place them in. The team started with numbers as low as 4 and grew into a much bigger squad. The first captain was Stacy Payne (Hardie) and the vice-captain was Jessica Morgan. The team won the Junior Cup in their first season.[]

In 2015, the RFU placed them in National 2 South West. In their first season they finished second in the league. The following season, they were unbeaten.

2017–2023: Premier 15's

In 2017, to take advantage of an increase in women's rugby participation following England's victory in the 2014 Women's Rugby World Cup, it was announced that Gloucester-Hartpury were awarded a franchise in the new women's top flight, the Premier 15s, as part of a reorganisation of women's rugby in England, despite never competing in the Women's Premiership or Women's Championship and moving up two leagues as a result. This was controversial as, despite the franchises being awarded by an independent body, Gloucester-Hartpury were awarded the position in top flight at the expense of Lichfield Ladies who had been competing in the top flight of English women's rugby for 15 years. There was speculation that this was due to geographical considerations.

2022–2025: Increased funding and league success

Ahead of the 2022-23 Premier 15s season, Gloucester Rugby announced a significant increase in funding to Gloucester-Hartpury by almost 500%, matching an enhanced contribution from Hartpury University. It was also announced that both the men's and the women's team would wear the same design kit. Former Gloucester player and Gloucester-Hartpury coach James Forrester was appointed CEO of the team in 2023.

In 2023, the team won the Premier 15s by beating Exeter Chiefs Women. By doing so, Gloucester-Hartpury became the first team based outside of London to win the league title. The final was held at Kingsholm Stadium, renamed 'Queensholm' for the occasion. The final drew a crowd of over 9,600 spectators, setting a new record and tripling the finals attendance of the previous season.

Premier 15s rebranded as Premiership Women's Rugby for the 2023–24 season onwards. Gloucester-Hartpury improved their form from the previous season winning 15 out of the 16 regular season games. Gloucester-Hartpury went on to win the final against Bristol Bears 36–24 becoming the second team after Saracens to win two titles in a row.

In January 2025, it was announced that long-time head coach Sean Lynn would take on a new role as head coach of the Wales Women. Lynn will initially continue as head coach of Gloucester-Hartpury alongside his duties with Wales, he will step down from his role at Gloucester-Hartpury at the end of the Premiership season in March 2025 to focus entirely on his position with the Welsh team. In February 2025, it was announced that CEO James Forrester would step down at the end of the 2024–25 season to move to a new role at Gloucester Rugby, it was also revealed that all commercial rights for Gloucester-Hartpury would sit under Gloucester Rugby from February 2025.

Gloucester Hartpury Women is a prominent rugby union team based in Gloucester, England. The team is known for its strong and talented players who compete at the highest level of women's rugby in the country. With a rich history and tradition of success, Gloucester Hartpury Women have established themselves as a force to be reckoned with in the sport.

The team is a combination of players from Gloucester Rugby and Hartpury College, creating a dynamic and competitive squad that consistently performs well in domestic and international competitions. Known for their physicality, skill, and teamwork, Gloucester Hartpury Women are a formidable opponent on the field.

Off the field, the team is dedicated to promoting women's rugby and inspiring the next generation of players. They are actively involved in community outreach programs and initiatives to grow the sport and encourage more women to get involved in rugby.

Overall, Gloucester Hartpury Women are a respected and admired team in the world of women's rugby, with a bright future ahead as they continue to strive for excellence and success in the sport.