Hartpury University and Hartpury College Stadium renamed the “4ED Hartpury Stadium, with Vodafone”

Vodafone has announced a new multi-year partnership with reigning Premiership Women’s Rugby Champions, Gloucester Hartpury Rugby and defending Women’s BUCS Super Rugby Champions, Hartpury University and Hartpury College WRFC.

The partnership sees Vodafone become the Performance Innovation Partner of the clubs, as well as featuring on the training kit of Gloucester Hartpury Rugby, front-of-shirt of Hartpury University and back-of-shirt of Hartpury College.

In its role as Performance Innovation Partner, Vodafone will provide both teams with access to Vodafone PLAYER.Connect, Vodafone’s landmark mobile-first platform that gathers data on players' performance and recovery, menstrual cycle phases, and mental and physical wellbeing. The platform will allow both teams to tailor training programmes to each player’s specific needs.

Vodafone will support the pre-existing prestigious talent pathway at Hartpury University and Hartpury College, an established route that allows players to progress from university rugby to elite level. Players will receive support from nationally accredited sports psychologists and nutritionists, as well as mental health support from Vodafone’s charity partner, LooseHeadz.

Vodafone will also be working with Gloucester Hartpury Rugby to rename Hartpury University and Hartpury College Stadium the “4ED Hartpury Stadium, with Vodafone”, to support the 4ED Foundation, a charity set up in honour of former Gloucester Rugby player, Ed Slater.

The 4ED Foundation provides financial support to individuals living with MND and their families, and for the next three seasons, 50p of every stadium ticket sold will be donated to the charity to further support its beneficiaries.

Natasha Hunt, Gloucester Hartpury Rugby co-captain, said: “With the Women’s World Cup taking place next year it’s an incredibly exciting time for women’s rugby and it’s fantastic to see established brands like Vodafone investing in the sport and making a genuine difference to the game.

“In particular, their investment into developing the talent pathway between Gloucester Hartpury Rugby and Hartpury University and Hartpury College is so important to support the next generation of talent who are an integral part of our Gloucester Hartpury Rugby squad and the future stars of our sport.”

Speaking about the partnership, Maria Koutsoudakis, Brand Director, Vodafone UK said:** “At Vodafone we are committed to supporting the growth of women’s rugby in the UK. We are thrilled to announce this landmark partnership with two of the nation’s most exciting women’s rugby teams ahead of what is set to be a momentous year for women’s rugby in the UK with the 2025 World Cup taking place on home soil. As Performance Innovation Partner we’ll be providing teams with access to groundbreaking technology such as our PLAYER.Connect platform which will support players development and performance and help to provide crucial pathways for the next generation of players.”

Gloucester Hartpury Rugby and Hartpury University and Hartpury College are the latest addition to Vodafone’s established portfolio of Women’s Rugby partners and show its continued commitment to help grow the sport across the Home Nations.

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