If you get the chance to go to Newlands on a Sunday afternoon, there’s every chance that you’ll be impressed not only by the excellent new artificial grass pitch at Cheltenham Tigers but also by the standard of rugby being played on it.

You’ll need to check the fixture list first, of course, but Sunday afternoons are when Cheltenham Ladies take centre stage.

And the team coached by top Gloucester rugby duo Tom Hudson and Ben Vellacott are playing at a very good level in the second tier of women’s national rugby, one below the likes of Saracens, Harlequins and Wasps.

They’re more than holding their own in Women’s Championship South, which sees them going head-to-head against Bath Ladies, Thurrock Ladies and Blackheath Ladies as one of the top 20 or so teams in the country.

Bryony Narbeth is Cheltenham’s leading lady on the field, having stepped up from vice-captain midway through the season when previous skipper Jess Elbeck moved to Cheshire to take up a new job.

Narbeth has done the job before and said she was happy to take it on again, although she added: “Jess was a really good captain, they are big boots to fill.”

So what sort of captain is Narbeth?

“I’m very quiet, I’m not one of those captains who shouts a lot,” she said. “I say a few words before the game and that’s it, I like to lead by example.

“Jess was the same, neither of us like giving speeches.”

And while that is understandable, there is nevertheless plenty of talk around the club about fielding a women’s 2nd XV.

“We’ve got about 30 to 35 players registered,” said Narbeth, who added that she was open to the possibility of continuing as captain next season. “We probably need another 10 or 15 more but that is the ambition for the next couple of seasons.”

More players means more competition for the places which in turn tends to drive up performances and although the top flight in women’s rugby – the Premier 15s – is currently out of reach because there is no promotion or relegation, there is no shortage of ambition at Cheltenham.

Ambition is what took 27-year-old Narbeth to Cheltenham in the first place.

Rugby has always been a big part of her life – her brother Andy Hazell played for Gloucester and England – and when she was offered the chance to play the great game she grabbed it with both hands, literally.

That was at the age of 11 when she was at Ribston Hall High School in Gloucester. She went on to play for Hucclecote before moving to Cheltenham some five years ago “because Cheltenham played in a higher league and I wanted to progress”.

And it’s not just a different level she’s playing at, she’s also playing in a completely different position these days as well.

“When I first came to Cheltenham I was a wing or centre,” she said, “but then I got moved to no. 8 three or four years ago.”

That’s quite a big change, so how did it happen?

“One of the girls couldn’t make one of the games and the coaches said they were going to throw me in at no. 8,” she explained.

“I remember saying, ‘Okay, but don’t expect anything’. Anyway, they said it was one of the best games they’d ever seen me have and I’ve played there ever since.”

Like so many converted forwards, she prefers playing in the pack and describes herself as “a ball carrier, tall and athletic”.

She says her game and that of her team-mates has developed over the years, not least because of the support they’ve received from Hudson, Vellacott and fellow coach Harry Wilson.

“They’re good,” she said, “they take it seriously. They bring the drills they do at Gloucester to the training field, there’s a lot of variety. They’ve got a good understanding of rugby and that definitely helps.”

And Narbeth believes the new artificial grass pitch at Newlands helps as well.

“It’s an amazing surface,” she said. “The pace of games is much quicker. It’s good in all weather, it’s so good not coming off the training pitch or after games covered in mud!”