Hartpury College’s Netball Academy is celebrating after winning the Gloucestershire County Schools tournament for the 14th time (and the ninth consecutive year). They’ll now progress to the South West Regional Schools Finals in February to compete for a top two spot and a place at the National Schools Championships 2025 to try and retain their title.
Impressively, Hartpury won all seven matches on 8 October, picking up all 35 points on offer. They scored 106 goals, only conceding 18.
Holly Duerden, Netball Academy Manager at Hartpury University and Hartpury College said: “I am thrilled that the girls have managed to retain the prestigious Gloucestershire County Schools Cup. We battled torrential weather conditions and played some amazing, consistent netball. Our focus is very much now on Regional Schools in February where the competition will almost certainly turn fierce. Everyone wants a spot at the National Schools Championships, and we want to make sure Hartpury remains on the netball map and regain our National Schools title.”
The team was made up of:
- Neve Marsden (A-levels)
- Lily Rutland (A-levels)
- Madison Sims (BTEC Physical Education and Coaching)
- Anna Stockdale (BTEC Sport and Exercise Science)
- Imogen Baxter (A-levels)
- Jess Hollingbery (A-levels)
- Awen Davies (BTEC Sport and Exercise Science)
- Ella Bloomfield-Bowmaker (A-levels)
- Millie White (A-levels)
- Amelie McCormack (BTEC Sport and Exercise Science)
Squad selections
Elsewhere, Jess Shaw (Hartpury University Netball Academy Head Coach) has been selected for the Roses squad ahead of the November Vitality Netball Horizon Series in Manchester and Jamaica. Paige Reed (Hartpury University and College alum) has also been selected for the England Squad for the FAST5 Netball World Series where last year she was player of the tournament.
Study, train and compete
Hartpury’s Netball Academy has a now well-established programme spanning nearly seven years, providing more than 100 student athletes with a chance to play throughout their college and then university studies at Hartpury. Each student, both male and female, has the chance to train in an elite sporting environment, taking advantage of state-of-the-art facilities and leading coaches who are active at Superleague and NPL level. There are also plenty of opportunities for those interested in playing for fun and fitness without the competitive elements.
Hartpury University ranks 4th in the UK for Sports Science according to the Guardian University Guide 2025.
