Hartpury University and Hartpury College’s Football Academy continues to demonstrate its national strength, with nine players selected for the 2026 English Universities Sport South Men’s squad and success for the women’s programme across college and university competitions.
Women’s players face off in England Colleges v England Universities fixture
In another milestone moment, Hartpury representation featured on both sides of the national stage as Clara Zaffignani (BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma Sport (Football)), College Junior Women’s 1 player, and Emine Akkurt (BSc (Hons) Sports Therapy), University BUCS Senior Women’s player, competed against each other in the England Colleges vs England Universities fixture.
The match finished 1–1, showcasing the calibre of players progressing through both Hartpury’s college and university systems, and demonstrating the seamless transition within its football pathway.
Junior Women’s 1s reach National Semi-Finals
Hartpury College’s Junior Women’s 1s delivered an outstanding performance in the England Schools U18 Women’s Super League Cup Quarter Final, defeating Bede Sixth Form 5–2 on Friday 13 February.
Goal scorers:
- Amaia Green (BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma Sport (Football)) – 3 goals (hat-trick) and also named Player of the Match
- Erin Williams (BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma Sport (Football)) – 1 goal
- Alishia Mabombo (BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma Sport (Fitness)) – 1 goal
The victory secures Hartpury’s place in the Semi Finals next month, where they will face either Thomas Telford or Wath Academy. A win would see them progress to a national final at Stoke City in May.
Nine Hartpury players named in South Men’s squad
English Universities Sport (EUS) has announced its 2026 South Men’s Football squad, with nine Hartpury students earning selection, underlining the depth and quality of the institution’s football programme.
The selected players are:
- Joshua Roney – Captain (BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Sciences)
- Sam Kelly (BSc (Hons) Sports Coaching)
- Solomon Kent (BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Sciences)
- Nathan Jenkins (BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Sciences)
- Noah Coates (BA (Hons) Sports Business Management)
- Jacob Towns (BA (Hons) Sports Business Management)
- Seth Locke (MSc Strength and Conditioning)
- Vanylson Silva (BSc (Hons) Sports Business Management)
- Louis Manning (BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Sciences)
The announcement highlights the strength of Hartpury’s integrated football pathway, combining academic study with high-performance sport. Having nine players, including the squad captain, selected for regional honours reflects the quality of coaching, athlete development and performance environment embedded across the programme.
A pathway built for progression
From England representative honours to national cup semi-finals, these developments reinforce the strength of Hartpury’s football pathway, one that supports progression from college to university and onto regional and national stages. The ability to develop talent across men’s and women’s programmes, while enabling players to balance high-performance sport with academic study, continues to set Hartpury apart.
That progression does not stop at representative honours. The pathway culminates in senior football opportunities through Hartpury FC, currently competing at Step 4 in The Southern League for the first time and still in contention for the play-offs with 13 games remaining. On the women’s side, Hartpury Women FC sit second in Tier 7 in their inaugural season in the Gloucestershire County Women’s Football League, with an application submitted for promotion to Tier 6 next season. Together, these senior sides demonstrate a genuine performance pathway, from college and university football through to competitive men's and women’s senior football, offering students a clear and ambitious route at every stage of their development.
