Zoe Stratford says Gloucester-Hartpury are targeting invincible season - 'That's the big aim'
By Will Conroy
Updated 06/03/2026 at 14:40 GMT
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Zoe Stratford has said Gloucester-Hartpury are aiming to go unbeaten in Premiership Women’s Rugby this season as they pursue a fourth successive title. They have had the perfect start to their title defence, winning all 10 games this season, and the club's co-captain said the goal of an invincible campaign has provided new motivation for the players, particularly after World Cup success for many.
Stratford admits Gloucester-Hartpury aim to go unbeaten in PWR
Video credit: TNT Sports
Zoe Stratford has said Gloucester-Hartpury are aiming to go unbeaten in Premiership Women’s Rugby this season.
Gloucester-Hartpury became the first women’s side to win three successive titles last season, and they are now looking to win a record fourth, with Saracens having also won three in their history.
It has been the perfect defence of their crown so far, winning all 10 matches to date, and Stratford believes the goal of an invincible campaign has provided useful motivation for the players.
Discussing the current season, the Gloucester-Hartpury and England captain told TNT Sports’ David Flatman: "It’s been good, unbeaten so far this season, the girls are on an absolute roll. That's the big aim for this season, we’ve not done it yet, to go unbeaten.
"We’ve had to up our goals, we’ve won it for three years now, to have another level to go to, that’s how we are as a club and how we want to perform.
"To be able to say ‘yes, we do want to go unbeaten for the rest of the season’ is the next stage of our development and something we haven't done yet."
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Highlights: Gloucester maintain perfect record with big win over Loughborough
Video credit: TNT Sports
Eight Gloucester-Hartpury players were selected for England’s World Cup-winning squad last summer, with five of those starting in the final against Canada.
Stratford said her side "definitely struggled" to find motivation in the early stages of the campaign after experiencing such a high with their country.
The lock said: "Coming back in with such a short turnaround, having to find that want and fight, that first month was a test of the character in the group and actually finding a bit of fight to actually want to go out there and be at training and developing.
"But as the season’s gone on, I think we’ve found it a little bit more and, with our new goal of wanting to go unbeaten, it gives us that extra little bit of fight."
Despite their perfect record, Gloucester-Hartpury currently sit second in the table, with Saracens top, having won 10 of their 11 games and with a superior points difference.
'We've lost our identity' - Gloucester owner
Gloucester’s men’s side have not enjoyed the same success, having never won English rugby’s top-flight, despite finishing runners-up on four occasions.
Their last second-placed finish was 19 years ago, though, and the club’s owner and chairman said they have somewhat lost their way in that time.
Martin St Quinton told TNT Sports: "We’ve lost quite a bit of the identity we enjoyed for 125 years as an amateur club and 20 years perhaps as a professional club.
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Chairman St Quinton concedes Gloucester have 'lost' their identity
Video credit: TNT Sports
"We’re working hard to get that identity back. We've made a number of announcements about our squad for next year, which are very forward-oriented.
"So I think you'll see, I hope very much, everyone who comes to the stadium and the TV viewers will see a much more aggressive Gloucester, and it's something we're working hard on as a board and as a management team.
"We want to win the Gallagher, and the fans deserve that; it's long overdue to win the league here at Gloucester, very simple."
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The club have also made changes off the pitch, with the appointments of Chris Boyd as technical director and Rob Burgess as general manager.
Speaking to Flatman, chief executive officer Alex Brown explained the pair’s appointments came after some soul-searching from the PREM club.
"We felt that the depth and the experience within our coaching group needed enhancement, so we’ve made some changes there," Brown said.
Gloucester are currently eighth in the Gallagher PREM, nine points adrift of Sale in seventh and just a point ahead of Harlequins in ninth.
Watch and stream the Gallagher PREM and Premiership Women's Rugby on TNT Sports and discovery+
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