Hartpury RFC name Simon Linsell as club captain

Hartpury RFC have confirmed that newly-arrived lock forward, Simon Linsell, will be their club captain for the 2018-19 Championship season.

Linsell has recently graduated in Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Exeter.

Hartpury director of rugby Barnes said: “For quite a few seasons now, we’ve chosen very experienced players as captain 

“Simon is different in that he’s young, he’s local and he’s played for Hartpury before, all of which make him an exciting option from our point of view.

“Most importantly, he comes with excellent credentials for the job. 

"He’s been part of a very successful set-up at Exeter University for the past few years, where he has clearly been an important part of the leadership team. 

"His coaches at Exeter have had nothing but praise for him, as both a player and a captain, and we’re sure that we’ve picked the right man for the job.”

Having grown up in the Cotswolds and played for his local club, Painswick RFC, his schoolboy career at Marling (Stroud) led him to the Gloucester Rugby Academy and eventually to Hartpury. 

Linsell played a number of games in the successful 2013-14 season, which saw the club promoted to National League 1.