Hartpury Netball continues to excel as students enjoy success across a multitude of sports

At the end of a busy 2023, Hartpury Sport is celebrating more success both in training and in competition. In our pre-Christmas round-up, we get an update from each academy to find out how students and alumni are making a splash in their chosen sport.

NETBALL

• Hartpury College 1sts beat Magdalen College School (50-18) during round three of the SIS Cup on 4 December 2023. They also beat Thomas Telford School (77-6) during round four of the AoC Cup on 6 December 2023.

• Hartpury University 2nds beat Cardiff University 6ths (62-36) as they soared to the top of the table with six wins out of six, and a goal difference of +181.

• Hartpury College student Kate Doran was recently selected for the Isle of Man U17 and U19.  She was joined at the netball Europe U19 pilot event by former College 1st team captain Thea Rhodes (captain of Wales) and 1st team college student Niamh Skillicorn (Isle of Man). 

• Abi Caple (Postgraduate Performance Analysis), BUCS 2 Head Coach, and Hartpury University Netball Club head coach, has been selected for the Welsh Feathers squad for their upcoming test series against Uganda. She’ll be joined by former college and university student Ellen Morgan.

WOMEN’S RUGBY

• Gloucester-Hartpury have made a promising start to the season and the defence of their title with three wins from three games. Meanwhile, Natasha Hunt and former A-level student Ella Wyrwas have been awarded England women’s contracts ahead of next year’s Six Nations.

• In U18 women’s rugby, Hartpury’s ACE girls remain unbeaten into their third season. 

• Hartpury was represented by two teams at the World Schools Festival in Thailand. The ‘Hartpury Acorns’ were crowned the first ever girls 7s champions at the Festival, with ‘Hartpury Oaks’ finishing in 2nd place.

• The BUCS Women’s 1sts are in the midst of a six-game winning streak, while the BUCS Women’s 2s are undefeated this season without conceding a single point. A number of students have taken part in recent U18 international training camps - nine players for England, 10 for Wales, three for Scotland and two for Ireland.

• Millie Hyett, Sophie McQueen, Hannah Kibble, Jorja Battishill, Lola Whitley, Steph Else, and Lucia Scott have all made it through to the next stages of the England U20s. The following players are also involved with national senior development sides playing in the Celtic Challenge: Evie Addy, Gemma Bell, Carys Hughes, Kelsie Webster, Nel Metcalfe and Gwennan Hopkins.

MEN’S RUGBY

• Hartpury University RFC are currently 8th in the RFU Championship, the second tier of English Rugby. The squad has enjoyed away wins at Coventry and Cambridge so far and seven current students have made their Championship debut this season.

• Former Hartpury A-level student, ACE and BUCS winner, Morgan Morris has spoken to the BBC to discuss his hopes for achieving a Wales cap, as well as winning a trophy with Ospreys during his career. Morgan has been one of the in-form Welsh players at domestic level over the last couple of seasons.

• Georgia captain and former Hartpury University and Hartpury College student Merab Sharikadze continues to play a pivotal role in the growth of Georgian rugby. He was the focus of a BBC Sport article after his club side, Black Lion faced Gloucester earlier in the month.

• Heading into the festive season, the BUCS Mens Senior 3 XVV are top of their league and unbeaten in 17 games. Hartpury BUCS squads have collectively made a strong start, recording more overall wins than draws and defeats across the season.

• Hartpury’s ACE boys team headed to Thailand for the World Schools Festival. The team beat Truro College 36-19 in the final, making it a third consecutive title and twelfth overall since the inception of the ACE league. 

MEN’S FOOTBALL

• Hartpury University FC overcame previously unbeaten Clevedon Town FC 2-1 in the FA Vase, with both goals coming from Ben Baxter. The team now advances to the next round in the competition whilst sitting in 2nd place in the Uhlsport Hellenic League One, one point behind leaders Malmesbury Victoria FC with three games in hand.

• Hartpury College’s U19 team beat Coleg Gwent 6-0 in the ECFA Men’s Premier Cup on 6 December 2023. The BUCS Men’s 1st team are joint top of the Southern Premier League with two games left to play. 

• Tawana Changa (BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma Sport and Exercise Science) made the England Colleges FA (ECFA) national squad and played against ISFA (Independent Schools FA) at St George’s Park.  

WOMEN’S FOOTBALL

• Hartpury’s BUCS team are making their debut in the Southern Premier League this season and are currently in an impressive 3rd place in the table. Meanwhile the College 1st team are currently unbeaten.

• Hartpury College student, Una Lue (BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma Sport and Exercise Science) made the final squad of the Women’s England Colleges national team, playing in the recent 3-3 draw against Bristol City U21s, and the 1-0 defeat to the Independent Schools FA national team at St George’s Park. Congratulations also go to Lily Billingham (BSc (Hons) Sports Coaching) who received an U19 Wales cap.

EQUINE

• Four Elite Development Academy dressage riders had the opportunity to train at Carl Hester’s yard recently, taking time out of a busy competitive winter season that has seen many strong performances.

• The showjumpers have been building their season for the winter shows, including those at Hartpury. The event riders are having a well-earned rest after a busy season.

• Anish Kamath (BSc (Hons) Equestrian Sports Science), one of the development squad riders, has excelled himself over recent months, achieving his British Showjumping Course Designer Level Two qualification. The accolade means he can now be an independent British Showjumping course designer up to 1.20m level.

• Alexandra Cecetova (BSc (Hons) Equestrian Sports Science) and her 10-year-old Oldenburg mare, Levadia, new members of the Equine Academy this year, have recently qualified for the Area Festival Advanced Medium Silver. 

GOLF

• Eliot Baker (BA (Hons) Sports Business Management) has been selected to play for England in a series of upcoming matches - the South American amateur championships in Columbia in January, as well as an octagonal men’s international match in Spain. In February, he’ll play in the Portuguese Amateur Championships and is currently in Portugal for an England training camp.

• The Hartpury College 1st team picked up team honours in a recent AoC league game at Cleeve Hill. Molly Douglas won both gross and net prizes, shooting her lowest round in the process. 

MODERN PENTATHLON

• Wilf Harrison (BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma Agriculture) and Miriam Holmes (BTEC Level 3 Foundation Diploma Animal Management) recently competed at the Regional Schools Biathlon Championships. Both set PBs in run and swim, and have qualified for the national finals. 

ROWING

• The Hartpury Rowing Academy took a haul of 11 medals from the British Rowing Indoor Championships, with no less than five British Indoor Champions - a particularly notable success at the start of the competitive season.

• Hartpury University’s Ellie Dash (BSc (Hons) Veterinary Nursing) became U23 British Rowing Indoor champion, also placing 2nd in the 500m sprint. Ben MacDonald (BSc (Hons) Sports Therapy) achieved bronze in the lightweight U23 category for both the 2km and 500m sprints.

• Hartpury College’s Elliott Donovan-Davies (A-levels) became British Champion for sixth form boys in both 2km and 500m. Millie Hurrell (BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma Sport (Physical Education and Coaching) also became British Champion, while Katie Gardner and Chloe Sheppard achieved a 2nd and 3rd respectively in the sixth form girls 2km.

• A number of U19 athletes have participated in Great Britain December camps, and Elliot Donovan Davies has also been invited to the U23 level camp. In January, Ellie Dash will be participating in a performance development camp held in Cardiff.