Experienced former Champ boss Williams joins Gloucester Hartpury as assistant

Cambridge’s former Director of Rugby, Richie Williams, has joined JAECOO Premiership Women’s Rugby side Gloucester Hartpury as an assistant coach.

During a six year stay at Cambridge, Williams masterminded the club’s rise from National 1 to Champ Rugby in 2023. He left The Blood and Sand a year later.

Williams most recently was backs and attack coach of Champ club, Chinnor, with whom he spent almost a decade with as a player. Last term the Oxfordshire club placed fifth in the league and competed in a play-off quarter-final. Last year Williams also worked as an assistant for Oxford University.

Williams said: “I’m really excited to be joining the club and to have the opportunity to work with such a talented group of players and coaches. Gloucester Hartpury is a prestigious club with a strong reputation for success and player development, and that was a big attraction for me.

“I’m looking forward to bringing my experience into the environment and helping the players continue to develop. I’ve really enjoyed working in attack and backs environments throughout my career, so the opportunity to contribute to an exciting style of rugby and work with this group was one I couldn’t turn down.”

Williams has enjoyed a hugely varied coaching career across the past 20 years. This includes work as Performance Director with the Hungarian Rugby Union, where he oversaw their men’s XVs, sevens, age-grade and women’s development squads. He has also led England Counties Under-20s, Belgium Men’s Sevens and England Universities Sevens.

Installed as Gloucester Hartpury’s new assistant coach, Williams joins a team in the midst of a rebuild after a they missed out on a PWR final for the first time since 2023 and after the departure of numerous senior players at the conclusion of the 2025/26 campaign.

Dan Murphy, Gloucester Hartpury’s head of rugby, said: “Richie brings a huge amount of experience from across the game, both in England and internationally. His work at Cambridge, where he helped guide the club into the Championship, speaks for itself.

“He’s also worked extensively in player development and pathway environments, which is really important for us given the number of young players we have coming through.

“His experience in attack and backs coaching will complement the existing coaching team really well, and we’re looking forward to seeing the impact he can have on both the players and the way we want to play.”