Dan Murphy will step up to the role of Head of Rugby at Gloucester Hartpury RFC, ahead of the 2025/26 Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR) season.
Murphy, a member of Sean Lynn’s Gloucester Hartpury coaching staff for the past four seasons and head coach for the Hartpury University men’s rugby team, steps up following Lynn’s departure to take charge of the Welsh national team, after leading the team to a third straight league title in March.
After starting his playing career at London Irish, Murphy moved to Gloucester in 2011, where he made 91 appearances for the Cherry & Whites before joining Harlequins. He returned to the county a year later, joining Championship side Hartpury RFC as a player/coach.
Progressing through his coaching journey at Hartpury, Murphy has held various roles across both university and college teams, most notably leading Hartpury University’s men to a BUCS Super Rugby title this season, alongside his outstanding contributions to the Gloucester Hartpury team.
He also had experience coaching in the Wales pathway system and was acting as Forwards Coach for Wales, alongside Sean Lynn, in their most recent Six Nations campaign.
Murphy commented: “I’ve worked in the women’s programme now for four years, and it’s an absolute honour to take charge and help them kick on further after a very successful few years.
“To work with those women who are so driven, so determined, I’m in awe of them sometimes, and it’s an absolute privilege to be able to lead them.
“Lynnie (Sean Lynn) always spoke about inspiring the community, and I believe we did that by winning the ‘three-peat’. But now it’s about capitalising on that, creating, building and finding the next act for The Circus.”
Students at Hartpury University and Hartpury College gain significant advantages from being mentored by experienced professionals like Dan Murphy. A powerful combination of esteemed academics and teaching staff, as well as respected sports coaches and support teams, mean students can perfectly balance studying whilst being involved with their chosen sport. Impressively, sports degrees at Hartpury University rank 4th among 86 universities (for student satisfaction) in The Guardian University Guide 2025.
