The Western Force will open its Buildcorp Super W campaign with three games on the trot before returning home for a festival of women's rugby and a double header at HBF Park.
It’s set to be a massive season for the Force, starting with a Friday afternoon showdown against Grand Finalists the Waratahs at Allianz Stadium on 24 March. The Force will than take a short trip north in Round 2 to take on the Queensland Reds at Suncorp Stadium on Friday, 31 March.
The final round game on the east coast sees the Force play for the first time at the newly developed AAMI Park in Melbourne. Female high-performance manager Claudia Bell is excited to see the Force be showcased on the new pitch and see the women’s game progress further across the country.
"It will be outstanding to play on both AAMI Park and Allianz Stadium. The field will be in top condition, so there are no excuses for us to be able to perform. I hope there will be a decent crowd that will get down there and support us. It doesn't matter if we are away or home; getting a crowd down there to support women's rugby is the biggest thing," Bell mentioned.
The Force will return home in Round 4 to face the reigning premiers, Fijiana Drua, on Sunday, 16 April. A historic match hosting the Fijiana for the first time in the West, coinciding with the 'women in rugby festival' at UWA's local rugby field, McGillivray Oval. This match is free to all Force Members and members of the public, stay tuned for more information.
Bell states this game will be huge for all members of the rugby community and encourages all to show their support and witness rugby in WA as it delivers excitement both on and off the field.
"We will rise to the occasion in Round 4 and push out a smashing game. We are eager to create this home game as a massive 'women's rugby festival', so we hope the local community come down and shows their support. We are looking at potentially having a curtain raiser to further display the depth of talent in women's rugby here in WA."
The final round game will see the women and men play back-to-back at HBF Park on Saturday, 22 April. Set to be a thrilling combo, with the women taking on the nation's capital, the hotly contested Brumbies, at 3:05pm followed by the men facing the Highlanders at 5:45pm.
"The Brumbies specifically, have a lot of Sydney University girls, so I am familiar with many that will make up this team. We will put on a really good fight for our home crowd, and we will be in good shape to be able to knock them off the perch... that will be exciting."
The top four teams will progress to finals, with the minor premiers versing 4th, and 2nd and 3rd duelling it out for a place in the final. Both elimination Semi-Finals will be held on 30 April, with the winners progressing to the Grand Final on 6 May.
If you think you have what it takes to run on with the Western Force Super W squad, open trials are underway! Test your skills against the best in the west, come down to Force HQ on Tuesday and Thursday nights from 6pm 22 Nov – 22 Dec. Bring your will to win and hunger for excellence, as you could don the blue jersey in 2023!
All Super W games are included in a 2023 Force Membership, don’t miss out get yours now!
