The Western Force have secured talented local teenage duo Manaia Te Tana and Penijameni Naqau for another year within the Club’s Fortescue Academy.
The pair have both represented Australia at under-age level following on from strong displays for the Force at last year’s Men’s Under-19 and Under-16 Super Rugby Championship respectively.
Promising Wanneroo back-rower Te Tana, 18, was part of the Academy last year and played three games, scoring one try, for the Force in the Men’s Under-19 Super Rugby Championship.
Te Tana was named in a preliminary squad for Australia’s Under-18 squad to tour New Zealand in late September.
Southern Lions inside-centre Naqau was a standout for the Force in last year’s Under-16 Super Rugby Championship with two tries in four games.
Naqau’s displays led to selection in Australia’s Under-16’s squad late last year, with the side taking on the Pacific All Stars in Canberra in December.
Fortescue Academy head coach Jeremy Thrush was delighted to see more WA talent commit to the Club.
“It’s great that there’s some really good talent coming through the WA systems and committing to our program as they can see the pathway to Super Rugby through our Club,” Thrush said.
Te Tana follows the path of Grason Makara, Ollie Callan, Luke Callan and Caleb Karangaroa to go from Wanneroo into the Force set-up.
“Manaia is a young kid that has been in and around RugbyWA Academies and teams,” Thrush said.
“He was in the Force Under-19s last year and played really, really well. It’s awesome to see him re-sign with the Force.”
Safety Bay Senior High School student Naqau was twice named in the U16s Super Rugby Team of the Week, in Rounds 1 and 4, and will now get his first taste of the Fortescue Academy.
“Peni has been in the RugbyWA Academy and was part of the Force Under-16s last year, where he played really well,” Thrush said.
“In the time he’s spent with our Force Academy we’ve really enjoyed what he’s been doing. We can see he has a lot of potential in his game and his abilities.”
