Hartpury University and Hartpury College came together for a surprise celebration this week to honour an incredible group of alumni and Gloucester Hartpury RFC players who made history at the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup. The event, held at the 4ED Hartpury Stadium on Thursday 16 October, recognised the outstanding achievements of former students who represented their nations on the world stage — including members of England’s victorious Red Roses squad.
Professor Andy Collop, Vice-Chancellor, Executive Principal and CEO of Hartpury, presented each of the alumni with a bouquet of flowers as a token of the institution’s pride and appreciation.
Among those recognised were:
England: Zoe Aldcroft, Natasha “Mo” Hunt, Alex Matthews, Maud Muir, Mackenzie Carson, Tatyana Heard, Jade Shekells, and Emma Sing.
Wales: Kelsey Jones, Gwen Crabb, Kate Williams, Bethan Lewis, Sisilia Tuipulotu, Branwen Metcalfe, Gwenlian Pyrs, Tilly Vucaj, Seren Lockwood, Lleucu George, Hannah Dellavalle, Maisie Davies, and Nel Metcalfe.
Ireland: Neve Jones, Ellena Perry, and Sam Monaghan.
England’s triumph in the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup has cemented Hartpury’s reputation as one of the world’s leading pathways for women’s rugby development. An extraordinary 15 Hartpury alumni were crowned world champions with the Red Roses.
However, Hartpury’s influence extended far beyond England, with current students and graduates proudly representing Wales, Scotland, Ireland, the USA, Canada, and Spain.
This unprecedented success underscores Hartpury University and College’s unique educational and sporting model, combining academic excellence with elite-level training to create a proven pathway into professional and international rugby.
The remarkable achievements of Hartpury’s alumni have also captured national media attention, with the institution’s role in England’s victory featured on BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat, BBC Radio Gloucestershire, BBC Points West, and ITV News at Ten.
