The Western Force is the pride of rugby union in Western Australia. The club has spawned several star Wallabies and Wallaroos in Matt Hodgson, Nathan Sharpe, Matt Giteau, Cameron Shepherd, Ryan Cross, Drew Mitchell, David Pocock, James O’Connor, Scott Fava, Nick Cummins, Richard Brown, Tai McIsaac, Rebecca Clough, Trilleen Pomare and local products Kyle Godwin, Dane Haylett-Petty, Samantha Wood and Hera Barb Malcolm-Heke.
Despite its brief existence, this flagship team represents the hopes, dreams and aspirations of a rugby community whose roots date back more than a century to 1893 when Rugby WA, the governing body for rugby union in the state, was founded.WA’s rugby community is built on passion, determination, and a never-say-die attitude that has provided inspiration in the toughest of times.
Given the club’s history, the quality of its rugby pedigree, the passion of its fans, and the weight of its community, the Force is ready and well-prepared to tackle whatever challenges and opportunities lie ahead in Super Rugby after confirming a five-year participation license.
2006: The Force is Born
As a professional entity, the Force has a short but proud history, having been formed in 2004 and making its Super 14 debut in 2006 against the Brumbies at Subiaco Oval.
2017: From the Ashes We Rise
The Western Force were controversially excluded from the wider Super Rugby competition, despite the club having completed one of its most successful seasons of the Super Rugby Competition ever, finishing second in the Australian conference.
2017: Dr Andrew Forrest AO Backs the Force
Vowing to do everything in his power to keep the Force alive, Dr Forrest declared in 2017: “I want to be very clear to Rugby Australia, you try to cut the Western Force, you have to go through me first, and then all of our players, and then our supporters, and then all of the parents of young players and, indeed, every Western Australian."
2018: The Birth of Global Rapid Rugby
Stranded on the Super Rugby periphery, the club reinvented itself, capturing the attention and imagination of the rugby world in the process. Just six months later in April 2018, with Dr Forrest’s personal and financial backing, the new World Series Rugby competition, featuring the Force in seven matches against international opposition, was born bring different rugby cultures to Perth from Fiji, Samoa and Japan.
2018: The Birth of Super W
The Western Force were one of the five teams in the inaugural Super Rugby Women’s competition, playing our first game on March 11 against the Melbourne Rebels at Harvey Field in Cottesloe, winning 85-13 with long-time club stalwart Trilleen Pomare among the try scorers.
2020: The Force Returns to the Super Rugby Pacific Competition
Whilst the Covid-19 pandemic cut short Global Rapid Rugby’s inaugural season, it created a precious silver lining for the Western Force to make its return to Super Rugby competition.
2023: Force become Super W trailblazers
The Force have become trailblazers in women’s rugby, in 2023 becoming the first Super W club to start player payments, to create a semi-professional women’s Academy and to appoint a dedicated women’s High Performance manager. Ahead of the 2024 season the Force became the first Super W club to appoint a full-time head coach and to offer multi-year contracts to players. In 2024, the Force qualified for Super W finals for the first time too.
