International trio agree new deals with champions

THREE of Gloucester-Hartpury’s internationals, England pair Alex Matthews and Tatyana Heard and Wales’ Lleucu George, have signed new contracts with the club.

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Back row Matthews joined from Worcester in 2022 and has played in all three Premiership Women's Rugby winning campaigns, also winning 75 England caps since making her debut in 2011.

Matthews, 31, was among the youngest members of the England squad which lifted the World Cup in 2014, and then featured in every game of the 2017 event.

She was contracted to sevens after the 2014 World Cup, and returned to the format for the 2017-18 season, winning a bronze medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

She was voted RPA Women’s Sevens Player of the Year 2018 and then, back in 15s, represented the Red Roses in autumn 2020 and the 2021 Six Nations and was part of the Team GB sevens squad who finished fourth at Tokyo 2020.

Matthews was in the squad that made the final of the delayed 2021 World Cup and was part of the side that won the 2024 and 2025 Six Nations Grand Slams and the WXV1 title.

Gloucester-Hartpury head of rugby Dan Murphy said: “Alex is one of those rare players who is so consistent at every level of rugby she plays, she rarely has a poor game at club or international level.