The Western Force will unveil 10 Club debutants including five Wallaroos for Saturday’s SMARTECH Super Rugby Women’s season opener against the ACT Brumbies.
The Force will open the season against the Brumbies from 2:05pm WST on Saturday at HBF Park as part of a double-header prior to the men’s Force-Reds game from 4:35pm.
Force head coach Dylan Parsons has named 10 Club debutants including six in the starting line-up, with Fijian Olympic Sevens starlet Adi Vani Buleki to make her full Super W debut.
Wallaroos Allana Sikimeti, Sera Naiqama, Ashley Marsters and Cecilia Smith will all start in their Force debuts, with 14-cap Wallaroo Sammy Treherne to debutise off the bench.
Also making their Club debuts are fly-half Grace Freeman and winger Buleki in the starting side, with hooker Loretta Mailangi, Japanese prop Megumi Takagi and scrum-half Ana Afuie to debut.
Manusina international Afuie joins the Force as an injury cover, having previous Super W experience with the Queensland Reds. She is a two-time Queensland Premier Women’s MVP winner.
Sikimeti will start on the front row alongside homegrown Wallaroos hooker Hera-Barb Malcolm Heke and Kalamunda tighthead prop Braxton Walker.
Naiqama will line up alongside Wallaroo Michaela Leonard in the locks, with young gun Tamika Jones starting in the back-row alongside Wanneroo club mate Anneka Stephens and Marsters.
Three-cap Wallaroo Georgia Cormick starts at scrum-half, partnered with Sydney University premiership winner Freeman at fly-half.
Wests Scarborough’s Brooklyn Teki Joyce and Buleki will play on the wings, with Otago’s Sheree Hume starting at full-back in the back three. Captain Trilleen Pomare will start in the midfield alongside Wallaroos teammate Smith.
Parsons has named a strong Impact Squad with Mailangi and Takagi plus Wallaroos prop Alapeta Ngauamo to offer plenty to the front row as finishers who’ll be important in the forecast warm conditions.
Experienced lock Libya Teepa, Black Ferns loose forward Pia Tapsell, half-back Afuie, Kalamunda fly-half Nicole Ledington and outside back Treherne make up the rest of the Impact Squad.
Tickets are available now via Ticketmaster. View our gameday info article for all the FAQs.
Game details
Western Force vs ACT Brumbies
Saturday 1 March, 2:05pm WST HBF Park
SMARTECH Super Rugby Women's Round 1
Live on 9GEM and Stan Sport
Force team list
Starting XV; Allana Sikimeti, Hera-Barb Malcolm Heke, Braxton Walker, Sera Naiqama, Michaela Leonard, Tamika Jones, Anneka Stephens, Ashley Marsters, Georgia Cormick, Grace Freeman, Brooklyn Teki Joyce, Trilleen Pomare (c), Cecilia Smith, Adi Vani Buleki, Sheree Hume
Reserves; Loretta Mailangi, Megumi Takagi, Alapeta Ngauamo, Libya Teepa, Pia Tapsell, Ana Afuie, Nicole Ledington, Sammy Treherne
