Past and present Hartpury netball players clashed in epic end-of-year match
Following on from an incredible season, the Hartpury Netball Academy welcomed back a host of alumni to take part in a special match against the current university team. The event was a superb way to bring together Hartpury netball players of the past and a fun way to round off the 2022/23 season. The event was supported by academy sponsors WSP and the alumni team took the win.
The alumni team was made up of Samantha Wisby (nee.Cook), Leila Abedrabo, Kellie Hull, Lily Jones, Ellen Morgan, Ehlana Drury, Emily Lacy, Rosie Jones, Olivia Selby, Scarlett Smith and Sydney Palmer.
The Hartpury team included Daisy Collett, Florrie Grigg-Petit, Millie Lealan, Fearne Maine, Effie Robinson, Becca Hinkins, Poppy Jones, Rhian Dawes, Layla Brough, Jasmine Genge, Maria Donovan and Alice Clark.
It’s hoped that the alumni vs Hartpury team match will become an annual fixture in the summer calendar.
Hartpury students and staff in action in Canada, as part of Wales U20 rugby tour squad
Hartpury is well represented in the Wales U20 squad as they face the best age-group players in North America as part of a two-match tour in Canada. Forwards Alaw Prys, Dali Hopkins, Gwennan Hopkins, Robyn Davies, join Backs Carys Hughes and Nel Metcalfe from Hartpury.
In their first match (4 July), despite finding themselves 28-5 behind just after half-time, Jenna De Vera’s side rallied and scored 22 unanswered points to just miss out on a first historic win against the USA, concluding with a 28-27 defeat. They’ll now face the hosts, Canada Women’s U20s in the next game at Elms Rugby Park in Ottowa on Thursday 13 July (KO: 6.30pm local time).
Oli Wilson, Junior Women’s Rugby Academy Manager at Hartpury has also joined the touring squad as Backs and Attack Coach for the U20s.
He said: ‘It’s been an amazing experience for both players and staff, being able to provide the team with international match experience is invaluable in their development to be professionals.
“It was a challenge for them to adjust to the heat at first but they’ve managed it well. Apart from the result, we put in an outstanding performance against the USA showing some real heart to pull the score back, the team are now working hard and are very motivated to put in another great performance against Canada.”
Matt Smith discussed the new Tottenham Hotspur manager on talkSport
Hartpury alum and former captain of the Hartpury BUCS Men’s Football team, Matt Smith, joined Darren Bent and Andy Townsend on talkSport recently to discuss Ange Postecoglu, the new Tottenham Hotspur manager. Matt played for Ange at Brisbane Roar, captaining the A-League team while he was manager.
Talking of the Tottenham manager’s no-nonsense approach, Matt said: “It didn’t matter whether you were the biggest player in the dressing room or the youngest. There’s zero tolerance for players that didn’t want to follow.”
Watch the interview here.
While at Hartpury, Matt studied an MSc Sports Management. Since graduating, he won two A-League titles in Australia - one as part of an unbeaten season, where he was also named in the PFA Team of the Year. He made his debut for the Australian side in 2013.
Equine Academy event rider selected for Australian Youth Squad
Hartpury University student and Equine Academy member Manon Schey has been selected for the Australian EA Eventing High Performance Youth Squad 2023. The event rider enjoyed a polished run in a competitive CCI3*-L class at Ballindenisk earlier this year with her horse Rle Cavalier Vivendi.
The Hartpury Equine Academy has a proven reputation for supporting and developing talented young riders to be the best they can be, both in their competition career and academically. Academy members have enjoyed success in eventing, dressage and show jumping.
Athlete Performance Academy reflected on a variety of successes
Students from Hartpury University and Hartpury College have shown there’s more to their prestigious Sports Academy than rugby and football. As part of the Hartpury Athlete Performance Academy, they’ve notched up a string of successes during the current academic year spanning an array of sports.
Covering everything from tennis, downhill skiing, and swimming to karate, biathlon, and many more besides, here are the highlights for 2022/23. Read more here.
University staff and students leading the way in coach development
Two Hartpury University students (Jessica Screen - MSc Sports Coaching, and Georgie-Marie Barbour-Gresham (BSc Sports Coaching) and their supervisor, Dr Luciana De Martin Silva (Principal Lecturer - Coaching/PE at Hartpury University), co-created and co-led two workshops at a recent Women’s Coach Development day event, accredited by the Gloucestershire FA and England Football Learning. The workshops focused on the sharing of research findings in an interactive workshop to support female coaches.
Since then, the team has been invited to the National FA Grassroots Female Coach Conference on Thursday 17 August at St George’s Park, to deliver to an audience of 200+ female coaches and guests.
Dr Luciana De Martin Silva said: “Jess and Georgie have been superb in making sure that their final year research projects have impact on practice. The response from the coaches and the FA Coach Development team has been superb resulting in them sharing our resources at a National level with all coach developers and asking for more!”
Stacey Miles, Regional (West Midlands) Coach Development Officer for the FA said: “We feel that the students’ work was outstanding and want to provide an opportunity for them to share this piece of work as a great tool that coaches can take away to consider as a consolidation piece at the end of the conference day. It will be an incredible opportunity to bring their great work to life through this national opportunity.”
Hartpury College Women’s Rugby team will make history at World Schools Festival 2023
The Hartpury College Women’s Rugby Academy will be represented at the World Schools Festival later this year (12-17 December 2023) as the event holds its first ever U18 female competition. They’ll join their male counterparts in Thailand, with the Hartpury College boy’s team already confirmed as taking part by organisers.
Alum Dani Gibson was named in the England Test squad
Former Hartpury student Danielle Gibson has been included in the 15-player squad for the five-day Test at Trent Bridge that started on 22 June 2023. The Test - worth four points in the multi-format series - is followed by three T20s and three one-day internationals, which are worth two points each.
Danielle, who studied a Level 3 Extended Diploma Sport (Physical Education and Coaching) won a place in the 2019-20 Women’s Academy during her time at Hartpury, and impressed at club level with Western Storm – one of the six elite women’s domestic teams that play in the ECB Kia Super League. She received her first England call-up during her time as a student in November 2019.
Former student rugby player Alex Craig signed for Scarlets
Scotland lock Alex Craig is joining Scarlets from Gloucester for the 2023-24 season.
Scarlets boss Dwayne Peel says twice-capped Craig will add "international quality" to their pack. For Gloucester academy product Craig, the move is a "fresh start playing in an exciting competition that is the URC [United Rugby Championship]".
He added: "Scarlets are a big club with a proud fan base and play a real exciting brand of rugby."
Alex made 22 appearances for Hartpury University RFC, scoring three tries. He subsequently signed for Gloucester in 2018/19 and made 49 appearances before making his senior Scotland debut in 2021 against Italy. He previously represented Scotland at the under-18 and under-20 level.
James Forrester became CEO of Gloucester-Hartpury
Hartpury University and Hartpury College's Head of Sponsorship and Business Engagement, and former Gloucester Rugby and England flanker, James Forrester, has been appointed CEO of Gloucester-Hartpury Women.
Forrester will act as a focal point between Gloucester Rugby and Hartpury, who have both increased the resource they have put into Gloucester-Hartpury this year leading to successes on and off the field. Gloucester-Hartpury secured a maiden Premier 15s title with a 34-19 win over Exeter Chiefs in front of a record crowd at Kingsholm (renamed Queensholm to mark the extraordinary occasion) on Saturday 24 June.
Read more here.
The Sports Business Hub teamed up with Sport Wales
In an exciting collaboration, Hartpury Sports Business Hub has joined forces with Sport Wales to initiate a unique consultancy project that promises to help nurture the growth and success of physical activity funding in Wales.
Read more here.
