Western Force winger Dylan Pietsch has hailed the passion of the Sea of Blue and WA rugby fans at Tuesday’s Rugby World Cup fixtures announcement at Cottesloe Beach.
The fixtures for the 2027 World Cup were revealed on Tuesday with Perth’s Optus Stadium to host the Wallabies against Hong Kong China in the opener.
Perth will also host three other pool matches including the All Blacks along with Ireland vs Scotland, plus two Round of 16 games.
Pietsch, who joined the Force ahead of the 2025 season from the NSW Waratahs, was excited about the prospect of playing in that opener in Perth.
“Hopefully I’m playing. It’ll be really cool,” Pietsch told reporters.
“One thing that I’ve learned since moving over here is how passionate the WA fans are. The Sea of Blue are amazing for us.
“They’re really strong with their passion for us. We had a Fan Day on the weekend and the support we have from them was really awesome.
“To be able to have that in a World Cup game will be pretty cool.”
Pietsch has experience at Optus Stadium too, producing a starring display in the Force’s tour game against the British & Irish Lions in June.
“It’s an awesome spot,” Pietsch said about Optus Stadium which is expected to sell out for the opener.
“When we played the Lions game, the track was so nice. The stadium is quite large but it feels so close. It’s so well designed, so it feels pretty intimate.”
Speaking generally about the home World Cup, Pietsch added: “Playing in your home country with your own fans is a massive lift.
“The love we have in all these stadiums through the Lions tour, all the Tests we play here, we always sell out crowds which gives you a boost.”
On the fixture announcement, Pietsch added: “It definitely makes it feel more real.
“It’s a really cool opportunity to play Hong Kong China in the first game and their first Rugby World Cup game.
“It’ll be a challenge for us and how we navigate that. Hopefully puts our best foot forward in the World Cup campaign.”
The Force’s 2026 Swyftx Super Rugby Pacific season commences on Saturday 14 February against the ACT Brumbies at HBF Park. Tickets are on sale now via this link.
Register for the pre-sale for Rugby World Cup tickets via this link.
