Hartpury College student Maisy Allen is living the dream training and playing alongside World Cup winners and a host of senior internationals as a new face in the Gloucester-Hartpury Women’s RFC squad.
Maisy had set her sights on playing for the Allianz Premier 15s side ever since she enrolled on the Level 3 National Extended Diploma Sport (Rugby) and Diploma in Sporting Excellence programme at Hartpury.
Now, thanks to her hard work and determination, the flanker is a member of the squad at Gloucester-Hartpury – a partnership between Gloucester Rugby and Hartpury University and Hartpury College – featuring the likes of World Cup winner Natasha Hunt and England women’s player of the year Zoe Aldcroft.
“It’s a dream come true – absolutely – and I couldn’t be happier,” said Maisy, who made her debut in a 27-6 win over Sale.
“At the start of both years at Hartpury, I’ve written in my individual development plan that I wanted to play for Gloucester-Hartpury.
“You see the players walking around campus at Hartpury and it’s really inspiring and gives you that extra drive to achieve your goals.
“Everyone involved with the club is absolutely lovely, but I have to admit that my first training session was terrifying and my heart was pounding like never before.
“After hoping to train with the squad for so long, when the day finally came I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m actually here’ and I was scared to get involved and I was worried about letting anyone down.
“But now I’ve been involved for a while, I’ve got to know more players and being around them, training and playing with them, has taught me so much.
“When you’re on the pitch with them and they perform a piece of brilliance, it’s like ‘Wow’. Being around world-class players is the best place to learn.”
Maisy, a member of the England Women’s U20s training squad, enrolled at Hartpury because of its reputation for providing students with opportunities to excel academically and within their chosen sport.
The DiSE programme gives aspiring athletes access to world-class training facilities, expert coaching and sports industry professionals while studying their main academic qualifications at another school or college.
Maisy said: “I’ve played rugby since I was eight, so when I left school I wanted to go somewhere that would enable me to still play regularly as well as supporting me to gain the qualifications to go to university.
“I’d known people who’d been to Hartpury and it sounded like such a great place to be – nowhere could beat it.
“Both courses have been absolutely great and, having been taught by experts in their various fields of study, I now feel more educated in lots of different areas of sport and rugby.
“You’re able to integrate into training what you’ve learned in the classroom, especially as some of the tutors are actually doing the coaching out on the pitch, so it all fits together really well.
“The DiSE programme also enables you to gain more UCAS points for university, which has really worked for me, so I’d certainly recommend it.”
Having made the leap into the Gloucester-Hartpury Women’s RFC squad, Maisy is looking to establish herself within the Premier 15s and then put herself in contention for senior England honours.
“I would really like to have a long and stable rugby career – that would be great,” she said.
“In the short term, I’d like to get into the England U20s squad and hopefully play some games.
“Looking further ahead, I’d like to make it into the England senior squad and play in the World Cup and other major tournaments such as the Six Nations.
“For now, though, my focus is on supporting my team-mates and doing my best for Gloucester-Hartpury when I get the opportunity.”
Gloucester-Hartpury Women's RFC face Exeter Chiefs in their final match of the season on Saturday.
Picture: Maisy Allen playing for Gloucester-Hartpury Women's RFC (credit Lauren Couchman/LNC Images)
