Hartpury University and Hartpury College are proud to celebrate a strong presence across the 2026 Senior and U20 Six Nations squads, with current students and alumni representing England, Wales, Scotland and Italy. The selections highlight Hartpury’s continued role in developing elite rugby talent through its college and university pathways.
Senior Six Nations Training Squads
England
· Ellis Genge – Former Level 3 Extended Diploma Sport (Rugby) student
· Arthur Clark – Former Level 3 BTEC Agriculture student
· Joe Batley – Former Level 3 Extended Diploma Sport (Rugby) student
· Harry Randall – Former Level 3 Extended Diploma Sport (Rugby) student and Hartpury University student
· Tom Harrison – Former college and university student
Wales
· Dafydd Jenkins – Former Level 3 Extended Diploma Sport (Rugby) student
· Louis Rees-Zammit – Former Level 3 Extended Diploma Sport (Rugby) student
· Louie Hennessey (uncapped) – Former A-level student
Scotland
· Alex Craig – Former Level 3 Extended Diploma Sport (Rugby) student
Italy
· Stephen Varney – Former Level 3 Extended Diploma Sport (Rugby) student
U20 Six Nations Squads
Hartpury also has strong representation in the U20 Six Nations, with several current university students and college alumni selected.
England U20
· Will Knight – Former Level 3 Extended Diploma Sport (Rugby) student, current Hartpury University BSc (Hons) Sports Coaching student
· Keelan Freeman Price – Current BSc (Hons) Sports Business Management student
· Harry Wright – Current BSc (Hons) Sports Business Management student
· Freddie Ogden Metherell – Current Hartpury University BSc (Hons) Sports Business Management student
Scotland U20
· Gregor Johnston – Current BSc (Hons) Sports Business Management student
Wales U20
· Deian Gwynne (Captain) – Former Level 3 Extended Diploma Sport (Rugby) student, current BSc (Hons) Sports Business Management student
· Caio James – Former Level 3 Extended Diploma Sport (Rugby) student, current Hartpury University (BSc (Hons) Sports Performance student
· Evan Minto – Former A-level student, current BSc (Hons) Business Management student
· Steff Jac Jones – Former Level 3 Extended Diploma Sport (Rugby) student
Aberystwyth-born flanker Deian Gwynne, who has been named as Wales’ captain, has previously praised his decision to study at Hartpury and the role it has played in his life and rugby career. He said: “I got the chance to move to Hartpury for my sixth form years and the life skills I’ve learnt have been very important to me. My rugby took a step up playing in the ACE Boys League.”
Martin Haag, Head of Performance Rugby at Hartpury University and Hartpury College said: “Seeing so many Hartpury alumni and current students selected across the Six Nations and U20 Six Nations squads is a huge source of pride for everyone at Hartpury. It reflects the strength of our rugby pathways and our commitment to supporting players to excel both academically and on the international stage.”
The Senior Six Nations kicked off on Thursday (5 February), with reigning champions France beating Ireland in Paris 36-14. The opening round continues on Saturday (7 February), with Italy hosting Scotland in Rome, followed by England facing Wales at Twickenham.
In the U20 Six Nations, England will begin their bid to regain the U20 Six Nations title when they face Wales at Northampton's Franklin's Gardens on Friday. Scotland travel to Treviso to take on Italy in the opening match on Friday (6 February), while France start their title defence against Ireland in Perpignan on Saturday (7 February).
Developing international rugby talent
Hartpury’s rugby programmes are designed to support men’s and women’s rugby players alongside their education. The latest international call-ups underline the effectiveness of this dual-career approach and Hartpury’s reputation as a leading environment for performance rugby development. This follows on from a hugely successful year in the women’s game that saw a number of Hartpury alumni feature in the Women’s Rugby World Cup.
