Hartpury University RFC is an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...

rugby union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...

club. The men's first team play in the second tier of the English rugby union league system,

Champ Rugby Champ Rugby (formerly the RFU Championship) is an English rugby union competition among fourteen clubs. It is the second level of men's English rugby and is played by both professional and semi-professional players. The competition has existed ...

, having won promotion from

National League 1 National One, up until 2023 known as National League 1 and previously known before September 2009 as National Division Two), is the third of three national leagues in the domestic rugby union competition of England. It was known as Courage Lea ...

at the end of the 2016–17 season. The club is based at Hartpury University in

Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( , ; abbreviated Glos.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Herefordshire to the north-west, Worcestershire to the north, Warwickshire to the north-east, Oxfordshire ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

, and is made up primarily of the university's students and staff. Hartpury University shares a close relationship with

Premiership Rugby Premiership Rugby, officially known as Gallagher Premiership Rugby, or the Gallagher Premiership for sponsorship reasons, is an English professional rugby union competition, consisting of 10 clubs, and is the top division of the English rugby ...

side

Gloucester Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city, non-metropolitan district and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West England, South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean ...

, which uses Hartpury's facilities as their permanent training base and provides a small number of academy players, all of whom are current or recently departed students, to supplement the Hartpury University team. Several Hartpury University players have gone on to play for Gloucester and other professional teams. They also jointly run

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 ...

, who play in

Premiership Women's Rugby Premiership Women's Rugby – officially known as Allianz Premiership Women's Rugby or The Allianz PWR – is an annual semi-professional women's rugby union club competition at the highest level of the English rugby union system, and is run b ...

, with

Gloucester Rugby Gloucester Rugby are a professional rugby union club based in the West Country city of Gloucester, England. They play in Premiership Rugby, England's top division of rugby. The club was formed in 1873 and since 1891 has played its home matches ...

History

Hartpury College Rugby Academy was formed in September 2000 in partnership with Gloucester Rugby, consisting of a university side that competed in the

BUCS British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS; ) is the governing body for higher education sport in the United Kingdom. Founded in 2008, BUCS is responsible for organising 54 inter-university sports in the United Kingdom, as well as represe ...

league system and under-18 teams. In 2004, the college's vision of a Saturday side came to fruition and became known as Hartpury College RFC. Starting in the eleventh tier of the league pyramid, Hartpury lost its first–ever match in the Gloucester Three North league. That was the last time that the club lost a league match until 2009, when they lost to Thornbury after four consecutive promotions, an EDF Junior Vase and an EDF Senior Vase. That setback did not prevent Hartpury from gaining further promotions to National League 1. During this time the team both the Level Six Champions Cup and EDF Intermediate Cup at

Twickenham Twickenham ( ) is a suburban district of London, England, on the River Thames southwest of Charing Cross. Historic counties of England, Historically in Middlesex, since 1965 it has formed part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, who ...

. In the 2016–17 season, their third at Level 3, Hartpury created history in winning National League 1 with a 100% record — winning all thirty of their fixtures and only twice failing to secure a four-try bonus point. As a result, the club now plays in the Greene King IPA Championship. The first season saw them finish in 10th place, but comfortably clear of relegation. This finish continued Hartpury's remarkable record of having improved their final league position in every single year of their existence.

Honours

* RFU Gloucester Three North champions: 2004–05 * RFU Gloucester Two champions: 2005–06 * RFU Gloucester One champions: 2006–07 * EDF Junior Vase winners: 2006–07 * RFU Gloucester Premier champions: 2007–08 * EDF Senior Vase winners: 2007–08 *

Tribute Western Counties North Counties 1 Western North (known as Counties 1 Tribute Western North for sponsorship purposes) is an English rugby union league. Originally a single division called Western Counties, in 1996 the division split into two regional leagues called ...

champions: 2008–09 * EDF Intermediate Cup winners: 2008–09 * Tribute South West Division 1 West champions: 2009–10 * RFU Level Six Champions Cup winners: 2009–10 * National Division Three South West champions: 2010–11 * National Division Two South champions: 2013–14 *

champions: 2016–17

Current standings

Current squad

The Hartpury University squad for the 2024–25 season is:

Notable former players

Gallagher Premiership

* Daffyd Jenkins
Exeter Chiefs
* Mat Gilbert (

Bath Rugby Bath Rugby is a professional rugby union club in Bath, Somerset, England. They play in Premiership Rugby, England's top division of rugby. Founded in 1865 as Bath Football Club, since 1894 the club has played at the Recreation Ground, Bath, Rec ...

) * Dave Lewis ( Harlequins) *

Jonny May Jonathan James May (born 1 April 1990) is an English professional rugby union player who plays as a wing for Pro D2 club Soyaux Angoulême and formerly for the England national team. May began his senior career at Gloucester, and also playe ...

(

) * Alex Cuthbert (

Exeter Chiefs Exeter Chiefs (officially Exeter Rugby Club) is an England, English professional rugby union club based in Exeter, Devon. They play in Premiership Rugby, England's top division of rugby. The club was founded in 1871 and since 2006 has played i ...

) * Tom Savage (

) * Jake Polledri (

) *

Charlie Sharples Charlie Sharples (born 17 August 1989) is a former English rugby union footballer, who last played in the Aviva Premiership for Gloucester. He plays as a wing. Club career Sharples was born in Hong Kong. As a former Gloucestershire district at ...

(Gloucester Rugby) * Elliott Stooke (Bath Rugby) * Dan Robson (

Wasps RFC Wasps Rugby Football Club was a professional rugby union team. They last played in Premiership Rugby, the top division of English rugby, until being suspended on 12 October 2022. On 17 October 2022, the club entered administration, resulting in ...

) * Gareth Evans (Gloucester Rugby) * Henry Trinder (Gloucester Rugby) * Callum Braley (Gloucester Rugby) * Richard Barrington (

Saracens file:Erhard Reuwich Sarazenen 1486.png, upright 1.5, Late 15th-century History of Germany, German woodcut depicting Saracens ''Saracen'' ( ) was a term used both in Greek language, Greek and Latin writings between the 5th and 15th centuries to ...

) * Ed Shervington (

Worcester Warriors Worcester Warriors are a professional rugby union club based in Worcester, England. They most recently played in Premiership Rugby, the top division of English rugby union, before being suspended by the Rugby Football Union, RFU in September 2 ...

) * Ryan Mills (Worcester Warriors) * Ben Vellacott (Gloucester Rugby) *

Ellis Genge Ellis Genge (born 16 February 1995) is an English professional rugby union player who plays as a prop for Premiership Rugby club Bristol Bears and the England national team. Before moving to Leicester Tigers, Genge had a brief professional ca ...

(Bristol Bears) * Callum Braley (Gloucester Rugby) * Alex Wills (Sale Sharks) * James Merriman (Bristol)

Guinness Pro12

* Andries Pretorius (

Cardiff Blues Cardiff Rugby () are one of the four professional Welsh rugby union teams. Based in Cardiff, the team play at Cardiff Arms Park. Originally formed in 1876, from 2003 to 2021 the first team was known as the Cardiff Blues before rebranding back ...

) * Callum Black (

Ulster Rugby Ulster Rugby is one of the four professional provincial rugby union teams from the island of Ireland. They compete in the Irish regional pool of the United Rugby Championship and in the European Rugby Champions Cup, each of which they have won ...

) *

Dan Tuohy Dan Tuohy (born 18 June 1985) is an English-born Ireland international rugby union player, currently playing for Vannes after leaving Stade Français. He plays as a lock. He also captained the Barbarians in their 2016 tour against the Czech R ...

(Ulster Rugby)

RFU Championship

Tristan Roberts Tristan Roberts (born 23 March 1987 in Maidstone, England) is a rugby union player who currently plays for Esher in National League 1, having previously been at US Cognac ( France's third division) and Ealing Trailfinders (RFU Championship). ...

(Bristol Rugby) * Matt Evans (

Cornish Pirates The Cornish Pirates () are a professional rugby union team who play in the RFU Championship, Championship, the second level of the English rugby union pyramid, and are the premier Cornish rugby club. The Cornish Pirates team are the 'First XV' o ...

) * Alex Dancer (Cornish Pirates) * Dean Brooker (Cornish Pirates) *

Jordi Pasqualin Jordi Pasqualin (born 28 March 1990 in Sheffield) is a rugby union footballer. Most recently played for London Scottish in the RFU Championship 2013–2014 after signing from Newcastle Falcons 2011–2013. Previously with Gloucester 2008–201 ...

(London Scottish) * Greg King (

Moseley Moseley ( ') is an affluent suburb in south Birmingham, England, south of the city centre. It is located within the eponymous Moseley ward of the constituency of Birmingham Hall Green and Moseley (UK Parliament constituency), Hall Green and ...

) * Tom Calladine (

Nottingham Nottingham ( , East Midlands English, locally ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located south-east of Sheffield and nor ...

) * Tom Harrison (

Plymouth Albion Plymouth Albion Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club who play in Plymouth, England. The present club was founded in 1920 from a merger between Plymouth RFC (founded 1876) and Devonport Albion RFC (founded 1876). Since 2003 they have played ...

) * Paul Jarvis (Doncaster Knights)

International

* Louis Rees-Zammit
Kansas City Chiefs
*Sebastian Negri
Benetton Rugby

References

External links

*
Championship Rugby
{{RFU Championship Rugby union teams in England Forest of Dean Hartpury College Rugby clubs established in 2004 Rugby union in Gloucestershire University and college rugby union clubs in England