Join our Rugby Academy

As a member of the rugby academy, you will have the opportunity to compete at the very highest level of university sport – our first team competes in the BUCS Super Rugby league – while completing a Foundation or Honours degree.

You will also benefit from our exceptional facilities and have access to a range of professional support services, which could include specialist coaching, nutrition advice, performance analysis, sports psychology, strength and conditioning and physiotherapy, supporting you to be the best you can become on and off the field.

Believe it or not, some of our biggest sporting achievers at Hartpury do not start out in our elite squads, rugby internationals Jonny May and Alex Cuthbert included, so don’t worry if you don’t come straight in at the top.

The elite development and development teams are an extremely important part of our programme and play in highly competitive leagues. We’re focused on improving individuals across all of our squads.

In order for you to be selected into the senior rugby programme, you must first be applying for, or have already accepted, a place onto a degree course at Hartpury University.

Open trials for prospective players are held throughout the year. Places in the programme will be offered based on prior experience, your rugby CV and performance in trials. Our elite squad play to a very high standard and will regularly include players who have been with a professional club either as an apprentice or a full-time professional. Others can expect to have had at least extensive trials with professional clubs prior to joining Hartpury.

Scholarships are offered to elite players on an individual basis and are directly related to sporting and academic performance usually determined through a sporting CV and achievements prior to joining Hartpury. The usual criteria for awarding a student a scholarship would be for those who we believe to be of international standard or potential international standard.

These are re-assessed on an annual basis, with a review looking at academic and sporting performance, as well as an individual’s disciplinary record and behaviour, over the course of the 12 month period. Scholarships will generally cover accommodation fees and/or elite sport membership costs.