The Henley College Launches Partnership with Gloucester Rugby 

The launch of Gloucester Rugby and The Henley College Performance Partnership will offer outstanding opportunities for aspiring rugby players in Henley-on-Thames and surrounding areas. 

The Henley College has formally launched its new partnership with Gloucester Rugby, working in association with Henley Hawks. The launch event, held on Monday 8th December at the Henley rugby grounds, brought together Wayne Thompson from Gloucester Rugby and Nigel Dudding from Henley Hawks. The afternoon featured a short programme, filming on the training pitch and scheduled interview opportunities. This partnership will give our students an excellent pathway, offering aspiring players the chance to develop their rugby performance while studying for a quality education. 

Principal of The Henley College, Simon Spearman, said: “We are delighted to be working with Gloucester Rugby Club and Henley Hawks to further strengthen our performance rugby programme. This partnership will give students from Henley and the wider region the chance to benefit from outstanding post 16 education at The Henley College, combined with a high quality performance rugby pathway delivered in collaboration with a premiership club.” 

Josh Barlow, Rugby Head Coach and Programme Manager, stated: “We’re an ambitious programme with a big staff infrastructure and Gloucester will add to that big ambition. We offer a wide range of courses that are unique to Henley to support our students. Partnering with Gloucester will enhance and make our experience at Henley even more bespoke.” 

The partnership allows students from Henley-on-Thames and beyond to join a club that shares the College’s core values and commitment to the community. The Henley College performance rugby programme provides an unrivalled environment for talented and aspiring rugby players to combine their rugby development with ongoing education. The College has a proud history of performance rugby, offering pathway opportunities that enable selected players to pursue both academic excellence and a performance-focused rugby environment. 

Wayne Thompson of Gloucester Rugby added: “Henley offers a unique opportunity as an exceptional education partner with strong connections to rugby.” Gloucester Rugby’s vision is ‘To Win. For Our Community and Each Other,’ which closely aligns with The Henley College’s HEART values, emphasising respect in everything they do and for their community. 

The Henley College will hold its next information evening on Thursday 5th February 2026, inviting students and parents to explore courses, meet staff, and tour the facilities. For more information about the College’s sports programmes.