The Western Force are excited to announce WA homegrown prop Ollie Hoskins will join the Club on a unique one-game loan for the upcoming tour game against the British and Irish Lions at Optus Stadium.
The 32-year-old Perth-born tighthead prop is in line for a memorable finale to his career in his hometown with his original club, having recently announced his retirement from rugby at the end of this season.
Hoskins’ English Premiership Rugby club Saracens have permitted him to join the Force before his contract officially lapses for the one-off game on Saturday 28 June.
The former Scotch College student started his rugby career with the Force and has notched up almost 200 provincial caps along with one Wallabies cap in 2021. He played 26 games for the Force between 2014 and 2016.
Making Hoskins’ finale even more special is his family’s link to the Force, with his mother Jennifer and friend Irma Cooper organizing the 2004 public rally at Subiaco Oval where 5,000 fans spelled out “Super 14 For Perth” before the city earned a franchise ahead of Melbourne.
Hoskins’ career commenced at the Force at youth level in 2012, before graduating through the Academy ranks to make his debut at Super Rugby level in 2014.
He moved to England to join London Irish in mid-2016, spending seven years at the Club, notching up more than 150 caps and winning their 2018-19 Supporters Player of the Season, before his most-recent two-year stint with Saracens.
Force head coach Simon Cron explained Hoskins was a key addition for the game, with the position the side are in with injuries and positional depth.
Cron said: “Ollie brings a wealth of experience and is such an open and positive person. He’ll help mentor the younger tightheads as well as add important big-game experience to the front row.
“It is no secret that we lost two props before the season started and then a number of our lads carried injuries throughout. The Wallabies coaches also requested to see Tom Robertson at loosehead, so therefore we needed a tighthead and Ollie was a natural target given his experience and background.
“He’s had a really good career, starting out here at the Force coming through the Club’s Academy into Super Rugby ranks, so this is a great story for WA rugby and for him personally.”
Hoskins was thrilled about the unique opportunity, calling it a “full circle moment”.
“It’s such a poetic way to round it all it up,” he said. “It just seems full circle to be able to come home and hopefully play my last game in front of my home crowd with my family there. I’m chomping at the bit, I can’t wait.
“A couple of weeks ago, when the Force got in touch with my agent, I was dumb founded. It was the quickest yes of all time.”
Hoskins, who could come up against three Saracens team-mates if he makes the final 23 for the game, linked up at Force training on Thursday after arriving from the UK on Wednesday. He was grateful to the Force for offering up the opportunity.
“I’m really grateful Saracens were really accommodating to get the loan done,” he said. “I feel really lucky to get this opportunity to play one last game for my hometown club, because I still love the Force.
“I was a fan before I was a player as a kid. I managed to play for them and to be back at Force HQ for the first time in 10 years, it’s very nostalgic. It’s still the same but also very different. To have one last game to finish it up is so poetic. I’m so grateful.”
Ollie Hoskins
DOB: 6/3/1993
Height: 191cm
Position: Tighthead prop
Junior club: Cottesloe (WA)
International Career History:
Wallabies (2021, 1 cap)
Australia U20s (2012-2014, 7 caps)
Club Career History:
Saracens (2023-2025, 13 caps)
London Irish (2016-2023, 155 caps)
Western Force (2014-2016, 26 caps)
Perth Spirit (2014-2015, 15 caps)
