'That’s the big aim for this season': Stratford reveals Gloucester Hartpury goal

Gloucester Hartpury captain Zoe Stratford has confirmed it is the club’s ambition to go unbeaten this season as they look to complete a Premiership Women’s Rugby four-peat.

The West Country club have been English top flight champions for the past three seasons. Ahead of their Round 13 clash with Exeter Chiefs, the Circus are placed second in the table with a game in hand on league leaders Saracens.

In every match the side have played this season Gloucester Hartpury have picked up a try scoring bonus point, including against Saracens who they beat 40-14 in the opening round of this season.

“Unbeaten so far this season,” Stratford told TNT Sports’ David Flatman. “The girls are on an absolute roll. I think that’s the big aim for this season, we’ve not done it yet, to go unbeaten.”

For the past three seasons Gloucester Hartpury have been out of this world. First led up the ladder by Sean Lynn and to three league titles, Dan Murphy’s rise from assistant to head coach has been seamless.

Emma Sing has continued to have a starring role for the West Country side as the team have turned over opponents with apparent ease up and down the country.

When probed further on the team’s ambition to go unbeaten this season, the England Red Roses’ Women’s Rugby World Cup winner and former World Rugby Women’s 15s Player of the Year was honest in her assessment that a full term unbeaten is merely an evolution for the club.

“We’ve had to up our goals because we’ve won it for three years now,” Stratford said. “To have another level to go to, that’s how we are as a club and how we want to perform.

“So being able to say, yes we do want to go and be unbeaten for the rest of the season is the next stage of our development and something we haven’t done yet.”