Eight Hartpury University and Hartpury College students and alumni will be in action this weekend for the opening fixtures of the 2023 Six Nations and Six Nations U-20 Championship.
Ellis Genge will start for England and has been named vice captain for their match against Scotland on Saturday (4.45pm KO). Genge is an ex double-winning Academies and Colleges Education (ACE) League player and a former British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) and Hartpury University RFC representative. He helped lead the Hartpury team to victory in the Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence (AASE) league before representing England at youth level from U17 to U20. He made his international debut for England in 2016.
Hartpury University BA (Hons) Sports Business Management graduate and former BUCS winning captain Seb Negri will start for Italy when they face France on Sunday at 3.00pm. He’ll play alongside Welsh-born Italian Stephen Varney (former Hartpury College and University student) who is also a former ACE winner and BUCS player.
Former ACE captain Daff Jenkins and fellow former student Alex Cuthbert make the bench for Wales’ opener against Ireland (Saturday 2.15pm KO).
Current student Danny Eite and last year’s ACE-winning full back Josh Hathaway makes the starting 15 for the Six Nations England U-20s Championship as they face Scotland tonight (7pm kick-off). Last year’s ACE captain Louie Hennessey also starts for Wales.
Prof Andy Collop, Vice-Chancellor, Principal and CEO of Hartpury, said “We’re very proud of the players who will represent their nations this weekend in what is always a highly anticipated weekend of sport. These players and the Hartpury students and alumni that will represent their nations in the weeks to come, are superb ambassadors for the rugby pathway that has become so firmly established at Hartpury.
Current and future students can be assured that the Hartpury rugby pathway continues to produce international rugby players of the highest calibre, each supported by highly respected coaching and support staff and professional facilities.”
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.
Rugby students at Hartpury – one of the world’s leading sports education institutions – have access to a range of world-class facilities including biomechanics and human performance laboratories, a rehabilitation suite, medical and physiotherapy rooms, an anti-gravity treadmill, and a brand-new £250,000 performance gym. Hartpury has invested over £10m in its sports facilities, enabling students to learn using some of the most advanced technologies in the UK.
Ireland v Wales will be shown on BBC One and iPlayer. England’s match against Scotland and Italy’s match against France will be shown live on ITV and BBC Radio 5 Live.
