Stratford and Heard to leave Gloucester Hartpury

Here is a story sports fans will want to follow: Stratford and Heard to leave Gloucester HartpuryImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Stratford and Heard both arrived at Gloucester Hartpury in 2017ByMike Henson Sport rugby union news reporterPublished15 minutes agoEngland captain Zoe Stratford and fellow Women's Rugby World Cup winner Tatyana Heard will leave three-time reigning Premiership Women's Rugby champions Gloucester Hartpury at the end of the season "to pursue new challenges". Back row Sarah Beckett, who won the last of her 35 England caps against Italy in 2024, will also leave the club. Stratford, who is currently pregnant with her first child and not playing, joined Gloucester-Hartpury in 2017 and played a key role in their rise to become the dominant force in the women's domestic game.

"Gloucester Hartpury will always hold a special place in my heart," she said. "It has given me so much over the years. I have learnt, grown, and been shaped by the experiences I've had along the way.

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"Thank you to the amazing fans who have supported us through the tough times eight years ago, when we were a mid-table team, all the way through to becoming three-time champions. It's been a crazy journey. "To the amazing girls I've had the pleasure of playing alongside, thank you for making this chapter of my life so unbelievably memorable.

I will cherish your friendship, and the memories we made both on and off the pitch, for the rest of my life. "Stratford, 29, co-owns a coffee shop with club and country team-mate Natasha Hunt close to Kingsholm, but her husband Luke was appointed as scrum coach for Sale Sharks' women's side in February 2025. Tatyana Heard is sidelined with a foot injury which kept her out of the Red Roses' recent Women's Six Nations triumph, but the 31-year-old aims to bid farewell with another title.

In coach Dan Murphy's first season in charge, Gloucester Hartpury have a perfect record of 14 wins from 14 regular-season games and are essentially sure of a home semi-final already. "When I joined in 2017, I never would have foreseen the opportunities that would come my way and I'm so thankful for everyone within this club who has made the past nine years so memorable," said Heard. "I'm excited for the opportunity to create more memories with this group over the next few weeks and hope we can end this season on a high.

"Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Stratford and Heard (to the right of the trophy) both started England's World Cup final win over Canada in SeptemberGloucester-Hartpury have announced a raft of contract extensions in recent weeks with England internationals Alex Matthews, Maud Muir, Emma Sing and Georgia Brock among those to recommit to the club. "Naturally, we're disappointed to be losing three valued players who have contributed so much to the club, but we understand and respect the personal factors behind their decisions," said Murphy of Stratford, Heard and Beckett's exits.

Clubs and federations are monitoring the development, which could have lasting consequences.