The Western Force will head to Mandurah for a game against South Africa’s Currie Cup-winning Cheetahs on Friday 29 September and head coach Simon Cron hopes the visit can help unearth the next rugby talent.
The Force are in the midst of the four-game Toyota Challenge against the Cheetahs, with Game 3 taking place at Lane Group Stadium from 7pm.
The Cheetahs won both of the opening two games in South Africa in late August and early September, but the Force are looking to bounce back on home turf.
From an on-field perspective, the Force are using the games as an opportunity to develop cohesion and squad depth ahead of the 2024 Super Rugby Pacific season, but it’s also a chance to play outside of Perth against a top-quality opposition and engage the Mandurah community.
“We’re really excited to get to Mandurah,” Cron said. “There’s a big rugby community down there.
“The whole point of these tours is to get into regional areas and some of the rugby communities that we don’t get to touch when we’re travelling for Super Rugby. It’s exciting, we’re excited to see the kids and the community down there.”
Prior to Friday night’s game, the Force will hold a clinic on Thursday afternoon at Mandurah Foreshore with 150 schoolkids registered to attend. The 150-strong capacity at the clinic was exhausted within 48 hours of registrations opening.
The appetite for the clinic comes on the same week that Force Memberships went on sale, including a special offer with free Junior Memberships.
Cron said the players were thrilled to be involved and hoped to inspire the next generation of local rugby talent, with the visit coming amid the Wallabies’ 2023 Rugby World Cup campaign in France.
“Our boys love being involved with the kids,” Cron said. “They’ve all been there, everyone there has been at one of those events when they were kids.
“It’s actually a privilege for us to be able to do that. We really enjoy it. Hopefully we encourage some kids down there who want to be future Western Force players.”
Tickets are on sale for the Mandurah game via Ticketmaster from $15 for the general public and $10 for Force Members.
Alongside the elite rugby, there will be Fun Zone activations, food vendors, bar facilities and activities for kids. Gates open at 5:30pm on Friday 29 September, with kick-off at 7pm. More info.
Toyota Challenge schedule vs Cheetahs
Game 1, Cheetahs 31 Force 27, Friday 25 August
Game 2, Cheetahs 27 Force 12, Saturday 2 September
Game 3, Lane Group Stadium, Mandurah, Friday 29 September 7pm AWST
Game 4, Revo Fitness Stadium, Claremont, Saturday 7 October 3pm AWST
