Gloucester Hartpury open their PWR campaign against rivals Saracens

Gloucester Hartpury host last year’s runners-up Saracens in their opening PWR fixture on Sunday afternoon. With three consecutive PWR championships under their belt, The Circus* will be hoping to start the new season off with an extravaganza. Head Coach Dan Murphy and Red Roses’ captain Zoe Aldcroft spoke to Clare McEwen ahead of their massive opening fixture.

If you’re already a PWR fan, Gloucester Hartpury need no introduction. If like me, you’re new around these parts, then these are the team to beat. In March this year, they won their third consecutive PWR title, beating rivals Saracens in the final. But will changes at the top derail their plans for four in a row?

Long-time head coach Sean Lynn ended his successful tenure at Gloucester in March, moving on to become head coach of Wales women. The following month, Dan Murphy, was appointed in his place. As a player, Murphy spent time at Gloucester, making 91 appearances for the club. He’s been part of the women’s staff for all three of those winning seasons and for two seasons prior to that, so knows how everything works. He knows the high standards the players work to and what the team expects. He also knows there’s no need to change a winning formula just for the sake of it, “our DNA has been so good for a long time. I’d be silly to rip it all up and start again”.

I don’t think Dan Murphy will be derailing anything, just making tweaks to the already well-oiled machine.

DNA

As a newbie to club rugby, I asked Dan what Gloucester’s DNA was?

“We play a high tempo, quick version of the game.

Rugby is a simple game when you strip it back, it’s run forward, pass backward.

At Gloucester Hartpury, what I’ve experienced in the last couple of years is the coming together of coaches and players on ideas and ways to play and manipulate the game.

That’s the exciting part that the girls obviously get to go and showcase every weekend.”

Gloucester haven’t made any new signings for the season because there’s no need to mess with perfection: their squad is already packed with stars from the world stage. No fewer than seven of their squad were part of the World Cup winning Red Roses. And fifteen more were at the World Cup with other nations. With 22 players at the World Cup, it’s safe to say the squad is packed with stars. After the Red Roses’ triumph some of the names you might now be more familiar with are co-captains Zoe Aldcroft and Natasha Hunt, Alex Matthews, and Maud Muir.

All welcome at The Shed

The Red Roses stars will be hoping the excitement of a home World Cup translates to a boost in crowd numbers, just like WSL crowds did after the Lionesses won the Euros.

With Gloucester Hartpury’s amazing run of three PWR titles (known as the “three-peat”), it was a pretty easy sell when I asked Zoe Aldcroft why we should go to watch them,

“We are three-peat champions [Zoe grins], a re-take of the final against Saracens is probably going to be one of the biggest games of the domestic season [their opponents for the opening game] and I think it’ll be an absolute thriller.

And if you loved the World Cup, then there is nothing better than coming down to The Shed on Sunday to support Gloucester Hartpury because we have incredible fans as it is and being in The Shed is such a special thing to do.

We promise that we’ll put our best out there if you give us your best cheers.”

That’s a hard invite to turn down. Although it may need some explaining: “The Shed” is the nickname for the North Stand at the Kingsholm stadium.

*And while we’re talking nicknames (and to explain the circus quips), the team are known as “The Circus”. Why? Originally from their red and white hooped kit that resembles a Big Top, but over recent seasons, their flair, energy, and on-pitch fun have added another dimension to the name. And, let’s be honest, it is a cracking nickname.

Gloucester Hartpury host fierce rivals Saracens at Kingsholm Stadium on Sunday 26th October, kick-off 3pm. All are invited to The Shed to watch The Circus in what I’m sure will be an “absolute thriller”. Tickets are available from £5 for children and £12.50 for adults. Or you can watch the game on TNT Sports.