The Western Force teams have been named for Sunday’s Round 5 home games at Claremont’s Revo Fitness Stadium against the NSW Waratahs in the Super Rugby U16s and U19s.
In collaboration with RugbyWA, the Force U16s and U19s are competing in the five-team Super Rugby pathways competition, offering key opportunities to develop the next wave of emerging WA talent.
Both Force sides cannot qualify for the grand finals, despite potentially finishing level on points with the second-placed Queensland Reds, due to the first countback being head-to-head record, having lost to the Reds in both age groups last weekend.
The U16s’ Round 5 game kicks off at 9:05am, followed by the U19s’ game at 11:05am, with entry free and both games live streamed on Stan Sport.
Southern Lions’ U16s lock Bareek Kleine-Deters Ausage and the Fortescue Academy’s U19s midfielder Boston Fakafanua were both named in their respective Super Rugby Teams of the Week for Round 4.
Kleine-Deters Ausage is second in the U16s for dominant tackles (6) and leads the league for lineout takes (22). Rockingham flanker Rudolf Johannes Van Der Merwe was last week’s Force U16s Player of the Match and leads the league for breakdown steals (4) and is third overall (33) for successful tackles.
Seven changes have been made to the Force U16s’ starting line-up, with Southern Lions lock Kordel Wharepara, Scotch College and Nedlands back-rowers Luke Wessels and James Aleni added.
Rhymen Tusi reverts from number 8 to inside-centre, with Nedlands duo Cyrus Cullen and Matua Reedy coming in at the half-backs. Wests Scarborough’s Lincoln Williams and Nedlands’ Marco Nel also will start on the wings, with Chase Bunce shuffled to full-back.
In the U19s, the aforementioned Fakafanua is equal top in the league for carries (34) and offloads (5) plus he’s fourth for tackle breaks (13) and fifth for running metres (304.4).
There are three changes to the Force U19s’ starting line-up, with Daniel Christodoulou and Zane Wesley added to the front row, while there’s a backline re-shuffle with Fortescue Academy fly-half Henry James reverting to 10 with Finn Prass moving to full-back and Kade Davis to left wing.
The Force thanks partners Fortescue, UWA, Goodyear, AFGRI and Elan as well as RugbyWA for their support of the U16s and U19s programs.
Watch every game live and on-demand via Stan Sport. Entry is free at Revo Fitness Stadium via Gate 1 off Davies Road. For more gameday info, head here.
Western Force U16s
Starters; Dozion Laupama (c) (Kalamunda Districts), Ben Ridgewell (Joondalup Brothers), Cruise Morrison (Southern Lions), Kordel Wharepapa (Southern Lions), Bareek Kleine-Deters Ausage (Southern Lions), Luke Wessels (Scotch College), RJ Van Der Merwe (vc) (Rockingham), James Aleni (Nedlands), Cyrus Cullen (Nedlands), Matua Reedy (Nedlands), Lincoln Williams (Wests Scarborough), Rhymen Tusi (USQ Saints), Michael Turukawa (Nedlands), Marco Nel (Nedlands), Chase Bunce (vc) (Cottesloe),
Reserves; Luke Scheepers (Nedlands), Dylan Francis (Nedlands), Khan Corbett-Gagamoe (Rockingham), Leeson Tiakia (Joondalup Brothers), Hohepa Matehaere (Southern Lions), Johan Oosthuizen (Nedlands), Fatani Fatanitavake (Kalamunda Districts), Ashton Williams (Cottesloe)
Western Force U19s
Starters; Daniel Christodoulou (West Harbour), Ollie Barrett (Bond University/Fortescue Academy), Zane Wesley (Wanneroo), Tom Hollis (UWA), Josiah Marks (Joondalup Brothers), Alex Bradley-Moore (UWA), Jackson Bridges (Wests Scarborough), Zak Griffiths (Southern Lions), Tafito Ahki (UQ), Henry James (Fortescue Academy), Kade Davis (Wanneroo), Boston Fakafanua (c) (Fortescue Academy), Oakley Pearce (Joondalup Brothers/Fortescue Academy), Vaughn Robson (Nedlands), Finn Prass (Fortescue Academy)
Reserves; Luke Megson (Scotch College), Ellis New (Associates), Isaiah Kolopeaua (UQ), Billy Turnbull (Cottesloe/Fortescue Academy), Felix Cooper (Wests Scarborough), Tamarangi Tunui (Wanneroo), Peni Naqau (Southern Lions/Fortescue Academy), Tevita Ali-Benet Alatini (Palmyra)
Western Force Super Rugby U16/U19 fixtures
Round 1 – Sunday 29 September, Viking Park, Canberra
U16s; ACT Brumbies 18 def by Western Force 19
U19s; ACT Brumbies 53 def Western Force 23
Round 2 – Saturday 5 October, La Trobe's University Sports Park, Melbourne
U16s; Melbourne Rebels 27 def Western Force 24
U19s; Melbourne Rebels 22 def by Western Force 47
Round 3 – Bye
Round 4 – Sunday 20 October, Revo Fitness Stadium, Perth
U16s; Western Force 5 Queensland Reds 48, 11:05am AWST
U19s; Western Force 17 Queensland Reds 45, 1:05pm AWST
Round 5 – Sunday 27 October, Revo Fitness Stadium, Perth
Western Force U16s v NSW Waratahs U16s, 9:05am AWST
Western Force U19s v NSW Waratahs U19s, 11:05am AWST
Grand Finals – Sunday 3 November, Ballymore Stadium, Brisbane