PETER SYMONDS COLLEGE ANNOUNCES NEW ACE PARTNERSHIP WITH BATH RUGBY CLUB
Peter Symonds College has formed a new partnership with Bath Rugby Club as part of the prestigious Academic Colleges and Education (ACE) programme to identify and nurture established rugby talent at the College. The collaboration, for boys aged 16-18, is designed to deliver high-performance coaching, elite player development and academic support to aspiring rugby athletes, ensuring that they are equipped for success both on and off the field.
Through shared expertise in coaching, strength and conditioning, sports medicine, and player performance analysis, the programme will provide a professional and structured environment that mirrors the demands of elite-level rugby. Significantly more advanced and demanding than conventional school or college rugby, the league requires all games to be recorded, with footage made available to elite-level selectors such as the England Under 18s management team.
Principal, Sara Russell, said: “This partnership with Bath Rugby marks a significant step forward for our student athletes. It is a really exciting prospect: a rugby club at the top of its game winning multiple trophies and demonstrating both longevity and expertise, partnering with an outstanding academic institution that is renowned nationally as one of the top sixth form colleges in the country.
“We are incredibly proud that we are able to offer within the state educational system, as good an opportunity to our students as their private schools peers would receive, within rugby union.”
Head rugby coach, Mike Marchant, said: “This is a fantastic partnership for the College and one that strengthens our commitment to developing the next generation of rugby professionals. By combining our resources with Bath Rugby Club, we’re creating a supportive and elite performance environment where young athletes can reach, and hopefully exceed, their potential.”
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The initiative officially launched at the start of the 2025/2026 academic year, and begins with a series of player development camps, talent ID sessions, and educational workshops. Bath Rugby will work closely with Symonds to align rugby training programmes with academic timetables, allowing players to thrive in both areas without compromise.
Well-established players would need to meet the following criteria:
• consider themselves good enough to play for Hampshire County;
• be one of the stronger players in their club side, who would be a starting first choice player.
The ACE rugby programme is managed and overseen by the Rugby Football Union (RFU). Featuring two competitive tiers it is widely regarded as the highest level of rugby for players under 18, aside from the Premiership Under 18 fixtures.
Posted: 13 October 2025
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