Hartpury claim first BUCS triumph
HARTPURY have secured the BUCS Women’s National League Championship title for the first time, beating the University of Edinburgh 36-22 at Sixways Stadium.
Both Hartpury and Edinburgh had previously made the final in 2019/20 only for the season to be cut short due to the pandemic, but Natasha Hunt’s team lifted the trophy in front of a sizeable crowd after what turned into a memorable 80 minutes.
Hartpury were pushed all the way by an Edinburgh team brimming with international talent, fresh from Scotland’s Tiktok Women’s Six Nations camp.
During the first half, nothing separated the two teams until Scottish international Meryl Smith dotted down from a crash ball within five metres, seconds after Hartpury’s Jordan Russell stifled the centre, who looked certain to score. Russell was later awarded the Player of the Match award.
Despite Edinburgh’s dominance, Hartpury stood strong against incursion after incursion into their 22m, until Lowri Davies gave Hunt’s team the lead for the first time, only to find the scores back level going into the break.
The second half began much like the first, with Edinburgh taking the lead. However, Hartpury’s hooker Amy Dale soon scored a hat-trick of tries, the final one leaving the game beyond all doubt as fans of the team in red started their celebrations moments before the whistle.
Hunt said: “Lynnie (Sean Lynn, Hartpury’s head of women’s rugby) always talks about being warriors, and that’s what we were today. It’s knockout rugby at the end of the day. You’ve got to want it; everyone wanted it on the pitch.
“Full credit to Edinburgh, too. I thought they were outstanding. What a spectacle for women’s rugby. You never want to be on that side of the result, so my heart goes out to them, but from the Hartpury perspective I’m so proud.”