Gloucester-Hartpury: How 'sleeping giant' leapt forward to Premier 15s final

Gloucester-Hartpury had never finished higher than fourth in the league before this year, and had never reached the Premier 15s final

Just last May Gloucester said they were to "significantly increase" the funding in their women's team to be at the forefront of growth in the game.

It is a move that has paid instant dividends, with Gloucester-Hartpury preparing for their first Premier 15s final little over a year on.

The West Country club had never finished higher than fourth before in the league.

This season they topped the table and are fighting to be crowned champions.

"I felt we were a little bit of a sleeping giant, we have undoubtedly the best women's pathway in the world. I don't think anyone can disagree with that," Gloucester-Hartpury CEO James Forrester told BBC Sport.

"Hartpury's under-18 girls win everything, BUCS [university] team coached by Mo Hunt has won the league two years in a row, Cheltenham Tigers, our sister club, have won back-to-back championships.

"We've got amazing facilities at both Gloucester and Hartpury and then we've got this fantastic brand at Gloucester.

"I think we just felt that actually we had a lot going for us. Probably last year we were at that tipping point with a bit of investment, a bit of belief."

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Such is the importance of the club reaching the final, Gloucester have even rebranded their stadium name from Kingsholm - which is hosting the match - to Queensholm for this week.

The funding boost, which the BBC understood saw the club's budget almost triple, followed on from a major review at the end of last season.

"It would mean everything [to win]. To top winning the league off, just going into this cup final is everything for our players, staff and the supporters," head coach Sean Lynn told BBC Radio Gloucestershire.

"What the players are creating here is something special.

"We did a massive season review last year as a coaching group and having James Forrester involved as CEO of Gloucester-Hartpury, he was the man behind all that.

"We went big on the recruitment and it's been great, and it's huge for us."

Gloucester's stadium has been renamed 'Queensholm' in preparation for hosting the Premier 15s final

Recruitment has obviously played a key role in Gloucester-Hartpury's leap forward this year.

A host of high-profile international players were signed last summer including Wales captain Siwan Lillicrap and winger Caitlin Lewis, England flanker Alex Matthews, back-rower Sarah Beckett and prop Maud Muir, and Spain captain Laura Delgado.

England lock, Zoe Aldcroft, who was voted World Rugby's women's player of the year in 2021, also extended her contract.

"We've had a massive squad effort this year," said captain and scrum-half Mo Hunt.

"There's been so many people take the field in the Gloucester-Hartpury colours, to be that consistent and to win that many games with so many people pulling on the shirt is a great testament to where we are as a club."

Sean Lynn has been part of the Hartpury University rugby set up for 22 years before becoming the women's team's head coach

For all the new faces this year, Gloucester-Hartpury have a core crop who have been part of the setup for a long time. Hunt and Aldcroft are in their fifth seasons, while Lynn has been part of Hartpury University rugby for 22 years. Forrester is a former Gloucester flanker who has worked at Hartpury since 2018.

"I can't do everything as a head coach, you just need to know the strength of the staff around you and let them be what they have to be, and make it benefit for the team," Lynn said.

"It's everything for me to make sure the team work together for one outcome."

First West Country winner

Gloucester-Hartpury take on Exeter in the final on Saturday, a team they beat in their first game of their potentially history-making campaign back in November.

It means that for the first time since the competition was created in 2017, the champion will come from outside London, with Harlequins and Saracens sharing all the previous titles between them.

And with Kingsholm confirmed as the host of the final back in February, Gloucester-Hartpury have home advantage on their side.

"It's class, the fact that we're seen on that parity with the boys and to be able to change the whole stadium's name for the week of the final is incredible," Hunt said.

Gloucester-Hartpury are hoping to set a new record attendance at a domestic women's rugby match this weekend, having already broken their own record for a standalone Gloucester-Hartpury game at Kingsholm this season.

First and foremost, the aim is to beat Exeter on Saturday and clinch a first Premier 15s title. But the bigger ambition is for the club to build on the leaps forward they have made this year and grow Gloucester's women's rugby scene.

"It would be a massive relief [to win] because of all the hard work that we've put into this year," Aldcroft continued.

"I think it would be absolutely incredible for women's rugby in different parts of the country as well other than London, because it's a West Country derby."

"It would be amazing for us as a club and a team to build that rugby environment around Gloucester."

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