Three former Hartpury students will start for Wales this weekend as they take on Scotland at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff on Saturday.
Ross Moriarty, Louis Rees-Zammit and Alex Cuthbert have all been named by Head Coach Wayne Pivac as they look to bounce back from a tough start to the 2022 Six Nations. Both Moriarty and Rees-Zammit studied the Level 3 National Extended Diploma in Sport (Performance and Excellence) in Rugby programme while Cuthbert studied A-levels at the College. Rees-Zammit is also a former Rugby Players Association’s Young Player of the Year.
A total of 11 former Hartpury students and Men’s Rugby Academy alumni were named in team selections by England, Wales, Scotland, and Italy at the start of the Championship. Former Hartpury College and/or Hartpury University students Jonny May, Jonny Hill, Ellis Genge and Harry Randall for England, Hartpury University BA (Hons) Sports Business Management graduate Sebastian Negri for Italy and former MSc Coaching Science (now MSc Sports Coaching) student Ben Vellacott for Scotland – although Vellacott hasn’t been named in the Scottish squad for this weekend’s match.
Russell Marchant, Vice-Chancellor, Principal & CEO of Hartpury University and Hartpury College, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to see Moriarty, Rees-Zammit and Cuthbert named in the Wales’ squad ahead of this weekend’s Six Nations game. It’s a proud moment, not only for the players as they prepare to represent their country on the biggest stage, but also for Hartpury.
“They are all outstanding ambassadors of our Hartpury rugby pathway that is now well-established and proven to produce international rugby players of the highest calibre. We wish all 11 Hartpury alum well in the remaining Six Nations fixtures.”
The rugby pathway at Hartpury – a RFU University Partner – means that alongside their studies, students can play for Hartpury College, then Hartpury University and its Championship club Hartpury University RFC.
More than 250 alumni have played international rugby or signed professional contracts around the world.
Rugby students at Hartpury – one of the world’s leading sports education institutions – have access to a range of world-class facilities in our £8.8 million Sports Academy development, including an anti-gravity treadmill, altitude chamber, high-tech 3D tracking cameras and high-resolution digital mirrors. Hartpury has also invested £250,000 into a new performance gym, giving students a flexible space for education and research opportunities, and training facilities for our Sports Academies and RFU teams.
The match will be available to watch live on the BBC this Saturday 12 February at 2.15pm.
