Gloucester Hartpury demonstrated resilience and skill to overcome Sale 22-7 at Morson Stadium, battling through difficult muddy and rainy conditions. The Circus drew first blood when Mia Venner exploited a gap to score an early try, though the conversion was missed.
The pressure continued as Kelsey Jones powered a driving maul to score, with Emma Sing successfully converting. Sale replied through Milly Hyndman’s try, converted by Holly Aitchison, narrowing the margin.
Gloucester Hartpury closed the half strong with Emma Sing crossing after swift passing from Lleucu George and Hannah Dallavalle; however, the conversion narrowly missed. After halftime, the worsening weather didn’t slow GH’s momentum. A sustained driving maul and quick recycling allowed Rachel Lund to extend the lead. The team’s mastery of the tough conditions earned them a vital bonus-point victory on the road.
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Hartpury maintained their unbeaten record in the Champ Rugby league with a 39-21 win over Chinnor at Kingsey Road. Despite an early lead for Chinnor, Hartpury’s Tom Worts and Kier Clark—who scored a length-of-the-field try—helped swing momentum, alongside key contributions from Peter Paramore and reliable penalties by Harry Bazalgette.
In Regional 1 South West, Matson struggled to a 36-12 defeat against Marlborough, with Fergus Jones and Shane Burford registering tries. Meanwhile, Stow-on-the-Wold were limited to three penalties in a 27-9 loss to Ludlow in Regional 2 Midlands West.
Longlevens produced a standout performance in Regional 2 Severn, ending league leader Trowbridge’s unbeaten run 31-28. After trailing 21-7 at halftime, Longlevens rallied with tries from Matt Fatica, Matt Smith, and James Butler. Despite late pressure from Trowbridge, Longlevens held on to secure a dramatic victory.
In Counties 2 Gloucestershire, Cinderford United defeated Frampton Cotterell 32-21 in a top-of-the-table clash, highlighted by Will Anderson’s hat-trick. Other noteworthy contests included Old Centralians’ 28-19 loss to Keynsham, Old Richians falling 26-10 to St Mary’s Old Boys, and Bredon Star’s 19-7 triumph at Lydney II in Counties 3 Gloucestershire North.
Drybrook II edged out Cheltenham Saracens 17-10, while Cheltenham Tigers II advanced by walkover in the Women’s Championship South West 2. Drybrook’s women also fell 28-15 at Bath United in NC1 South West (East), and Minchinhampton secured a significant 17-5 win over leaders Fairford in NC3 South West (North).
Cinderford faced a tough 12-5 loss to second-placed Pershore, emphasizing the competitive nature of the season across all tiers.