Defending champions Gloucester-Hartpury's 'next act'

Gloucester-Hartpury have a new head coach but are still as focused on "winning" as ever, says their captain Zoe Stratford (right)

For the past three seasons, Gloucester-Hartpury have been the all-conquering team in Premiership Women's Rugby (PWR).

They secured their third consecutive league title in March but with head coach Sean Lynn having since left the club, for a team that calls itself 'the Circus' it is fitting that new head of rugby Dan Murphy has described the 2025-26 campaign as their "next act".

"I've spoke quite openly about the next act and that's what we are," Murphy told BBC Radio Gloucestershire.

"The main event, the circus, has been amazing for a long time, but now we want to see who these new centre-stage athletes are."

Murphy's appointment signals the start of a new era at the club which has been the standard bearer in recent seasons. But rather than overhauling what has gone before his approach is more to freshen up what is already there.

For a start, he is far from new to the Gloucester-Hartpury set-up, having worked as the team's scrum coach under Lynn for the past four seasons. Lewis Arnold also remains as forwards coach with former England back Matt Banahan brought on to the staff.

Co-captain Zoe Aldcroft, now known by her married name Stratford, said the team has got the same feeling with Murphy now at the helm.

"Murph's been with us for many years before," she told BBC Radio Gloucestershire.

"We've experienced him and know what he's like as a person.

"Him coming in and bringing his view on things has been really great and refreshing, actually, as well as having Matt Banahan here leading our attack and bringing new ideas.

"It's always good to have that new freshness in and keep things motivated."

How a team that completed a three-peat in the spring, and features no fewer than eight England internationals, including Red Roses captain Stratford - who lifted the World Cup trophy in Twickenham just four weeks ago - continues to find motivation might sound like a challenge.

But Stratford said it is simple. Their motivation this season is the same as it always has been - "winning".

"We absolutely love that - we're a team where we're very competitive, and when we take the field, we put our bodies on the line for each other, and we love doing it for each other as well," she said.

'We don't want to lean into complacency'

Gloucester-Hartpury's on-field form speaks for itself. They have lost just six of their past 55 league games, and much of their success was built on togetherness and consistency in the squad.

Their international contingent has been retained for the new season with Red Roses Tatyana Heard, Alex Matthews, Mackenzie Carson and Maud Muir among those to sign new deals in the spring, along with Wales fly-half Lleucu George - one of 13 Wales internationals also in the squad.

"They're such an infectious group - the way they're determined, they're driven, the standards they expect of people around them within the team, they're just a great group to work with," Murphy said.

The biggest challenge for a team that has long been at the top is how to retain the same high standard and push on further, to ensure they stay there.

And with the PWR becoming ever more competitive each season, as the gap between the top and bottom continues to narrow, a fourth title is far from guaranteed.

"We've already touched on that - we don't want to lean into that complacency," said prop Carson.

"How do we push forward and get those one per cent's and keep pushing when we've won it the last few years?

"Especially Murph, he wants to put his own mark on it. He's not won as a head coach yet so that'll be his goal to win the PWR as the head coach."

Gloucester-Hartpury start the new PWR campaign against Saracens, who they beat in last season's final

Things do not get much tougher for Gloucester-Hartpury to begin their season than a repeat of last season's final against Saracens at Kingsholm on Sunday.

Saracens - also three-times league champions - come into the game having won the PWR Cup two weeks ago. They are loaded with their own crop of World Cup winners, including top try-scorer Jess Breach, former England captain Marlie Packer and World Player of the Year, Canada's Sophie de Goede.

"You get one chance to make a first impression in life and this weekend is that," Murphy said.

"Yes, we are the same team and the same group, but these are the games that you look for in the fixture list.

"We've got a tough start. We've got Sarries, Exeter, Quins and Sale, thick and fast, and that's the strength of the league now."

Additional reporting by Paul Furley and Mike Henson.