Western Force
Encyclopedia
Western Force is a rugby union
team based in Perth
, Western Australia
playing in the international Super Rugby competition. They first competed in the 2006 season
and finished with the wooden spoon
in that year, however their performances greatly improved in 2007
. In 2008
they finished in 8th place, just missing out on the finals again. The team is the fourth Australian team to be accepted into the competition. It was coached by former New Zealand
All Blacks
coach, John Mitchell
for the first five seasons before former Australian Sevens Captain Richard Graham took charge ahead of the 2011 season.
would be ready. RugbyWA were invited to bid for the fourth Australian team, and the union assembled a project team, which was given four weeks to formulate their bid. The bid was backed by the state government, which loaned more than one million dollars to RugbyWA, as well as committing $25 million towards an upgrade of the Members Equity Stadium. It was announced in December 2004 that RugbyWA had beaten Rugby Union Victoria for the right to host the fourth Australian franchise.
rugby debut against the Brumbies
at a near sold out Subiaco Oval in Perth, losing 25-10. Since this result, the Force have had a difficult debut in Super 14. A one-sided loss to the Hurricanes and an ugly loss at home to the Chiefs in Perth followed. Many fans were unimpressed, with only approximately 23,000 turning up to watch a match against the Bulls. On 31 March, in front of 24,000, the Force came closest to their first win, losing 26-25 to the Stormers at Subiaco Oval. This was after leading 10-0 early on in the match. This was the Force's first competition point ever, and is the longest it has ever taken a side to get a point in Super rugby history (8 rounds/7 matches).
On 21 April a crowd of 32,231 saw the Force nearly pull off the upset of the year, drawing 23-all with the undefeated defending champion Crusaders. Though the Force were leading 7-0 after several minutes the feeling was still that the Crusaders would win, especially after they scored a try seconds later to make it 7-5. Only when the Force had blown the score out to 17-5 did anyone begin to talk of an upset. Leading 20-8 at half time the Force did not hold on for the win after the Crusaders scored two tries and a penalty within the closing half. At 23-all with seconds left the Force crashed over the line but were denied by the television match official.
Two days after the draw with the Crusaders, the Force were able to sign rising star Matt Giteau
from the Brumbies, effective with the 2007 season. Giteau, whose contract with the Brumbies ended after the 2006 season, inked a three-year deal reportedly worth A$
4.5 million, making him the highest-paid player in the history of any Australian football code.
On Saturday, 6 May, the Force announced they had managed to sign another player, Red's winger Drew Mitchell
. However, during the same week the Force were fined $110,000 after an "independent committee found that Rugby WA had entered a negotiation process with Al Kanaar
in a way that was contrary to and in breach of the contracting protocols." The Force notched up their first win by defeating the Central Cheetahs
16-14 on 6 May.
In July at function at the same venue as where the logo was unveiled to the public, the Force's jersey and naming rights sponsor was revealed. The home jersey was unveiled on Brendan Cannon
, being blue with a black swan. Lachlan MacKay emerged with the side's alternate strip, which was gold with a black swan; black and gold being Western Australia's sporting colours. The team's first jersey was auctioned off for $30,000, and the first alternate strip was then also auctioned off for $30,000 as well.
Australian Rugby Union CEO Gary Flowers told the media that "people power" was a key factor in Western Australia being awarded the franchise ahead of Victoria. Prior to the announcement, more than 25,500 Western Australians signed a petition in support of their state's bid. In addition, 5,000 people, including the state's premier Dr Geoff Gallop, attended a rally at Subiaco Oval, organised by two rugby mothers "the Scrum Mums" (Jennifer Hoskins and Irma Cooper) to show how much the people of Western Australia wanted the franchise. By the end of the first season, the Force finished with the highest crowd average out of all the Australian teams, despite finishing in last place, the fans still came out to see Wallaby
stars such as Matt Giteau
, Drew Mitchell
and Nathan Sharpe
(though Mitchell and Giteau were not in the 2006 lineup).
. The stadium has a capacity of 43,500 and is configured in an oval shape for Australian rules football
.
In February 2008 the Government of Western Australia
announced that it will build a new multi-purpose sports stadium located on Kitchener Park, next to Subiaco Oval. The stadium is scheduled to be built between 2011 and 2016, with the majority of the stadium being completed in 2014. Seating 60,000 people, it will mainly be used for Australian rules football matches, but will also be the home ground for the Western Force. The stadium will be oval in shape but will also have retractable seating which will reconfigure the venue to make it suitable for rectangular-field sports codes, including rugby.
However, with the defeat of the Labor government who promised this stadium in the 2008 election, it has since been cancelled. Instead, the Force moved into the 18,000 seat nib Stadium for the 2010 season. The reason for the move to the smaller venue is that it is a rectangular field, as opposed to the oval at Subiaco which is poor viewing for rugby union fans. The Force, along with football club Perth Glory are pushing for an upgrade to Members Equity Stadium, which would create a truly world class rectangular venue for the two clubs. The Force have been given a limited grant by the government to improve facilities at the stadium, and this will see its capacity increase to 20,500 in time for the 2010 Super Rugby Season.
Western Force Gold is a team launched by RugbyWA for post-season Super 14 rugby. The team plays in just the gold strip of the Western Force. The team played Manu Samoa
, and then went on a two-week tour in South Africa
, including games against the Golden Lions
and the Blue Bulls
. The team then played Toshiba
and Yamaha
from Japan's Top League
. They recently beat the Singapore national team 113-7.
Napolioni Nalaga
(from
Clermont
)[marquee signing] Jordan Rapana
Winston Stanley
and Richard Brown
were fined and ordered to do community service for mistreating protected native quokka
s at a team bonding session on Rottnest Island
, 19 kilometres (11.8 mi) off the coast of Perth.
Eye-witness accounts stated that the players had mishandled the animals, including trapping and throwing them, though none were known to be seriously injured. Alcohol was said to be a factor.
As a result of the actions, Australian Wallaby number 8 Fava was ordered to pay $11,000, attend a week of community service and undergo counselling for alcohol abuse, while flanker
Richard Brown was sentenced to a $5000 fine as well as seven days' community service. Both fines were payable to the Rottnest Island Conservation Foundation.
In February 2008, Matt Henjak and Haig Sare were involved in a fight at a pub in Perth. Henjak hit Sare and broke his jaw and was sacked by the Force for misconduct. Haig Sare returned to play for the Force at the end of Season 2008 once his injuries healed.
were a major factor in luring Wallaby star Matt Giteau and others to play for the Western Force in Perth. The luckless Giteau was one of a number of sportsmen owed millions of dollars by Firepower,
a new consortium offered to cover the Firepower money if Giteau extended his existing contract, however he chose not to, and returned to Canberra to play for the Brumbies.
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
team based in Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
playing in the international Super Rugby competition. They first competed in the 2006 season
2006 Super 14 season
The 2006 Super 14 season started on Friday 10 February 2006. The Grand Final was held on Saturday 27 May 2006. Super 14 is a provincial rugby union competition with 14 teams from New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. This season was the first of the expansion, which saw two new teams, the...
and finished with the wooden spoon
Wooden spoon (award)
A wooden spoon is a mock or real award, usually given to an individual or team which has come last in a competition, but sometimes also to runners-up. Examples range from the academic to sporting and more frivolous events...
in that year, however their performances greatly improved in 2007
2007 Super 14 season
The 2007 Super 14 season started in February 2007 with preseason matches held from mid-January. It finished on 19 May with the final at ABSA Stadium in Durban, in the first final between two South African teams in the history of Super Rugby...
. In 2008
2008 Super 14 season
The 2008 Super 14 season started in February 2008 with pre-season matches held from mid-January. It finished on 31 May, when the Crusaders won their seventh Super Rugby title with a 20–12 victory over the Waratahs in front of the Crusaders' home fans. The 2008 season was the third of the expansion,...
they finished in 8th place, just missing out on the finals again. The team is the fourth Australian team to be accepted into the competition. It was coached by former New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
All Blacks
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
coach, John Mitchell
John Mitchell (rugby player)
John Eric Paul Mitchell, is a noted former rugby union player and former coach for the New Zealand All Blacks. Mitchell's rugby career blossomed with the club side Fraser-Tech after he moved from King Country in 1984 and was soon elected Waikato Colts captain...
for the first five seasons before former Australian Sevens Captain Richard Graham took charge ahead of the 2011 season.
The bid
The bid for entry into an expanded Super 12 competition started in the early 2000s, when in 2002, a group was formed to oversee developments in the push for a new Australian franchise. The group's objective was to ensure that if SANZAR agreed to a fourth Australian franchise, that RugbyWARugbyWA
RugbyWA, formerly known as the Western Australia Rugby Union, is the governing body for rugby union in the state of Western Australia, Australia. In 2004, RugbyWA successfully secured the fourth Australian Super 12 licence, entering a team in the expanded Super 14 competition from 2006, called the...
would be ready. RugbyWA were invited to bid for the fourth Australian team, and the union assembled a project team, which was given four weeks to formulate their bid. The bid was backed by the state government, which loaned more than one million dollars to RugbyWA, as well as committing $25 million towards an upgrade of the Members Equity Stadium. It was announced in December 2004 that RugbyWA had beaten Rugby Union Victoria for the right to host the fourth Australian franchise.
The first season
On 10 February the Western Force made their 2006 season2006 Super 14 season
The 2006 Super 14 season started on Friday 10 February 2006. The Grand Final was held on Saturday 27 May 2006. Super 14 is a provincial rugby union competition with 14 teams from New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. This season was the first of the expansion, which saw two new teams, the...
rugby debut against the Brumbies
Brumbies Rugby
The Brumbies are a Super 15 rugby union team based in Canberra, Australia and named for the wild horses which inhabit Canberra's hinterland...
at a near sold out Subiaco Oval in Perth, losing 25-10. Since this result, the Force have had a difficult debut in Super 14. A one-sided loss to the Hurricanes and an ugly loss at home to the Chiefs in Perth followed. Many fans were unimpressed, with only approximately 23,000 turning up to watch a match against the Bulls. On 31 March, in front of 24,000, the Force came closest to their first win, losing 26-25 to the Stormers at Subiaco Oval. This was after leading 10-0 early on in the match. This was the Force's first competition point ever, and is the longest it has ever taken a side to get a point in Super rugby history (8 rounds/7 matches).
Two days after the draw with the Crusaders, the Force were able to sign rising star Matt Giteau
Matt Giteau
Matthew Giteau is an Australian rugby union footballer, a former international who now plays for the French Top 14 side Toulon. He attended St Edmund's College, Canberra, which has produced other Wallabies including George Gregan, Matt Henjak and the former rugby league star and now coach Ricky...
from the Brumbies, effective with the 2007 season. Giteau, whose contract with the Brumbies ended after the 2006 season, inked a three-year deal reportedly worth A$
Australian dollar
The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...
4.5 million, making him the highest-paid player in the history of any Australian football code.
On Saturday, 6 May, the Force announced they had managed to sign another player, Red's winger Drew Mitchell
Drew Mitchell
Drew Alan Mitchell is an Australian rugby union player. He usually plays on the wing or as fullback. Up to the 2006 season he played for the Queensland Reds. He played for the Western Force for the 2007–2009 Super 14 seasons. In 2010 he is playing for the New South Wales Waratahs franchise...
. However, during the same week the Force were fined $110,000 after an "independent committee found that Rugby WA had entered a negotiation process with Al Kanaar
Al Kanaar
Al Kanaar is a former Australian Rugby union footballer. Kanaar played as a Lock / Flanker for the New South Wales Waratahs. Kanaar made 26 appearances for NSW and was capped once for the Wallabies, against the All Blacks at Eden Park in 2005. He was forced to retire before the 2008 season...
in a way that was contrary to and in breach of the contracting protocols." The Force notched up their first win by defeating the Central Cheetahs
Central Cheetahs
The Central Cheetahs, known for sponsorship reasons as the Toyota Cheetahs, is a South African rugby union team that entered the Super Rugby competition in 2006. The franchise area encompasses the Free State and Northern Cape. In terms of Currie Cup unions, the Cheetahs draw from Free State...
16-14 on 6 May.
Name and colours
On 19 April, RugbyWA unveiled the franchise team name as well as the logo, at a reception at the Burswood International Resort in Perth. Months of detailed community involvement went into selecting the name for the team. 'Western Force' was chosen as the name, which best reflected the franchise's location (state) and its 'values of strength, energy and community'. The logo was unveiled to be a black swan, which is the state's traditional insignia. The swan is set in a blue background, representing the Western Australia coastline and sky, whilst the gold represented the beaches, mineral wealth and sunshine. Some speculated that the team was going to be called the 'Black Swans'.In July at function at the same venue as where the logo was unveiled to the public, the Force's jersey and naming rights sponsor was revealed. The home jersey was unveiled on Brendan Cannon
Brendan Cannon
Brendan Cannon is a former Australian rugby union footballer who played for the national team, The Wallabies and three Australian teams in the Super 12 and Super 14 competitions....
, being blue with a black swan. Lachlan MacKay emerged with the side's alternate strip, which was gold with a black swan; black and gold being Western Australia's sporting colours. The team's first jersey was auctioned off for $30,000, and the first alternate strip was then also auctioned off for $30,000 as well.
Support
Shortly after RugbyWA won the fourth Australian franchise, an on-line register was set up for members to record their interest. In the space of weeks, 10,000 people had registered. When membership was officially launched in July, more than 13,000 were registered, with around 400 companies expressed interest in hospitality packages. Soon the Force had the largest membership base of any of the Australian Super 14 teams. By the time pre-season had started, the Force had 16,000 members.Australian Rugby Union CEO Gary Flowers told the media that "people power" was a key factor in Western Australia being awarded the franchise ahead of Victoria. Prior to the announcement, more than 25,500 Western Australians signed a petition in support of their state's bid. In addition, 5,000 people, including the state's premier Dr Geoff Gallop, attended a rally at Subiaco Oval, organised by two rugby mothers "the Scrum Mums" (Jennifer Hoskins and Irma Cooper) to show how much the people of Western Australia wanted the franchise. By the end of the first season, the Force finished with the highest crowd average out of all the Australian teams, despite finishing in last place, the fans still came out to see Wallaby
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
stars such as Matt Giteau
Matt Giteau
Matthew Giteau is an Australian rugby union footballer, a former international who now plays for the French Top 14 side Toulon. He attended St Edmund's College, Canberra, which has produced other Wallabies including George Gregan, Matt Henjak and the former rugby league star and now coach Ricky...
, Drew Mitchell
Drew Mitchell
Drew Alan Mitchell is an Australian rugby union player. He usually plays on the wing or as fullback. Up to the 2006 season he played for the Queensland Reds. He played for the Western Force for the 2007–2009 Super 14 seasons. In 2010 he is playing for the New South Wales Waratahs franchise...
and Nathan Sharpe
Nathan Sharpe
Nathan Sharpe is an Australian rugby union player. He plays lock and is the captain of the Western Force.-Early career:...
(though Mitchell and Giteau were not in the 2006 lineup).
Stadium
The Force previously played all of their home games at Subiaco OvalSubiaco Oval
Subiaco Oval , known colloquially as Subi, is the highest capacity sports stadium in Perth, Western Australia...
. The stadium has a capacity of 43,500 and is configured in an oval shape for Australian rules football
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
.
In February 2008 the Government of Western Australia
Government of Western Australia
The formation of the Government of Western Australia is prescribed in its Constitution, which dates from 1890, although it has been amended many times since then...
announced that it will build a new multi-purpose sports stadium located on Kitchener Park, next to Subiaco Oval. The stadium is scheduled to be built between 2011 and 2016, with the majority of the stadium being completed in 2014. Seating 60,000 people, it will mainly be used for Australian rules football matches, but will also be the home ground for the Western Force. The stadium will be oval in shape but will also have retractable seating which will reconfigure the venue to make it suitable for rectangular-field sports codes, including rugby.
However, with the defeat of the Labor government who promised this stadium in the 2008 election, it has since been cancelled. Instead, the Force moved into the 18,000 seat nib Stadium for the 2010 season. The reason for the move to the smaller venue is that it is a rectangular field, as opposed to the oval at Subiaco which is poor viewing for rugby union fans. The Force, along with football club Perth Glory are pushing for an upgrade to Members Equity Stadium, which would create a truly world class rectangular venue for the two clubs. The Force have been given a limited grant by the government to improve facilities at the stadium, and this will see its capacity increase to 20,500 in time for the 2010 Super Rugby Season.
Western Force Gold
Samoa national rugby union team
The Manu Samoa is the men's representative side of the Samoa Rugby Union in both the 15's and the 7's for international competitions. The Samoa Rugby Union is owned by the affiliated rugby unions of Samoa. In Samoa, Manu Samoa is in honour of a famous Samoan warrior. From 1924 to 1997 Samoa was...
, and then went on a two-week tour in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, including games against the Golden Lions
Golden Lions
The Golden Lions is a provincial rugby team based in Johannesburg, South Africa. The team was originally known as Transvaal, before changes to the political landscape in South Africa forced a name change to the Gauteng Lions, before again being changed to the Golden Lions. For sponsorship reason...
and the Blue Bulls
Blue Bulls
The Blue Bulls, for sponsorship reasons known as the Vodacom Blue Bulls, or more popularly by their Afrikaans name die Blou Bulle, are a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament...
. The team then played Toshiba
Toshiba Brave Lupus
Toshiba Brave Lupus is a Japanese rugby union team in the Top League. They are based in Fuchu, Tokyo, as is their local rival Suntory Sungoliath. They won the second ever Top League championship in the 2004-5 season and the Microsoft Cup in 2005 under their innovative and inventive coach Masahiro...
and Yamaha
Yamaha Jubilo
Yamaha Jubilo is a rugby union team based in Iwata, Shizuoka. The team came second behind Toshiba Brave Lupus in the second season of Japanese rugby's Top League...
from Japan's Top League
Top League
The Top League is a professional rugby union league created by the Japan Rugby Football Union to drive up the overall standard and popularity of the sport in the country and improve the results of the Japan national rugby union team. The first season was 2003-04 and featured 12 teams...
. They recently beat the Singapore national team 113-7.
Super 14 positions
| Season | Pos | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | +/- | BP | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 2006 Super 14 season The 2006 Super 14 season started on Friday 10 February 2006. The Grand Final was held on Saturday 27 May 2006. Super 14 is a provincial rugby union competition with 14 teams from New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. This season was the first of the expansion, which saw two new teams, the... |
14th | 13 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 223 | 373 | |||
| 4 | 12 | |||||||||
| 2007 2007 Super 14 season The 2007 Super 14 season started in February 2007 with preseason matches held from mid-January. It finished on 19 May with the final at ABSA Stadium in Durban, in the first final between two South African teams in the history of Super Rugby... |
7th | 13 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 276 | 282 | |||
| 6 | 32 | |||||||||
| 2008 2008 Super 14 season The 2008 Super 14 season started in February 2008 with pre-season matches held from mid-January. It finished on 31 May, when the Crusaders won their seventh Super Rugby title with a 20–12 victory over the Waratahs in front of the Crusaders' home fans. The 2008 season was the third of the expansion,... |
8th | 13 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 247 | 278 | |||
| 5 | 33 | |||||||||
| 2009 2009 Super 14 season The 2009 Super 14 season kicked off in February 2009 with pre-season matches held from mid-January. It finished on 30 May, when the Bulls won their second Super Rugby title with a decisive 61–17 victory over the Waikato Chiefs at Loftus Versfeld stadium in Pretoria, South Africa. The 2009 season... |
8th | 13 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 328 | 275 | 10 | 36 | |
| 2010 2010 Super 14 season The 2010 Super 14 season kicked off in February 2010 with pre-season matches held from mid-January. It finished on 29 May. The 2010 season was the fifth and last season of the expanded Super 14 format. The schedule, which covers 3½ months, featured a total of 94 matches, with each team playing one... |
13th | 13 | 4 | 0 | 9 | 258 | 364 | |||
| 3 | 19 |
Current squad
The squad for the 2012 season:New Players for 2012
Toby Lynn Salesi Ma'afuSalesi Ma'afu
Salesi Ma'afu, is an Australian professional Rugby union footballer. Ma'afu was selected to the Qantas Wallabies squad in 2009 and again in 2011 after having appeared for Australia A in 2007 and 2008...
Napolioni Nalaga
Napolioni Nalaga
Napolioni Vonowale Nalaga is a Fijian rugby union footballer. He plays as a wing, flanker and Centre. He is nicknamed Napoleon or Naps or Napo...
(from
ClermontASM Clermont Auvergne
Association Sportive Montferrandaise Clermont Auvergne are a French rugby union club from Clermont-Ferrand in Auvergne that currently competes in Top 14, the top level of the French league system, ASMCA are the were the 2010 France Top 14 Champions. It is the rugby section of the multi-sport club...
)[marquee signing] Jordan Rapana
Jordan Rapana
Jordan Rapana born in Wellington, New Zealand is a cross-code rugby league and rugby union player. He is currently signed to the Western Force in the Super Rugby tournament having previously played for the Gold Coast Titans in the National Rugby League...
Winston Stanley
Winston Stanley
Winston Ulysses Stanley is a Canadian rugby union footballer. He played wing for University of British Columbia, in Canada, later moving to English club Leicester Tigers....
Current internationals
- All are Australia internationalsAustralia national rugby union teamThe Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
unless indicated otherwise.- Richard Brown
- Pekahou Cowan
- Matt HodgsonMatt HodgsonMatt Hodgson, born is an Australian professional rugby union footballer. Hodgson was selected to the Qantas Wallabies squad in 2009 but sustained an injury in a non-cap match played against the Barbarians and was forced to return home...
- Ben McCalmanBen McCalmanBen McCalman is an Australian rugby union footballer. He currently plays for the Western Force in the international Super Rugby competition, and Australia....
Napolioni NalagaNapolioni NalagaNapolioni Vonowale Nalaga is a Fijian rugby union footballer. He plays as a wing, flanker and Centre. He is nicknamed Napoleon or Naps or Napo... - James O'ConnorJames O'Connor (rugby)James O'Connor is an Australian international rugby union footballer. He made his Wallabies debut in 2008. In the Super Rugby competition he played from 2008 to 2011 with Western Force, and subsequently signed to the Melbourne Rebels for the 2012 season.-Biography:O'Connor is a versatile...
- David Pocock
- Nathan SharpeNathan SharpeNathan Sharpe is an Australian rugby union player. He plays lock and is the captain of the Western Force.-Early career:...
- Cameron ShepherdCameron ShepherdCameron Shepherd is an Australian rugby union footballer. He currently plays for the Western Force in the international Super 14 competition. His usual position is at fullback or wing.-Biography:...
Statistics
- First pre-season game - vs the CheetahsCentral CheetahsThe Central Cheetahs, known for sponsorship reasons as the Toyota Cheetahs, is a South African rugby union team that entered the Super Rugby competition in 2006. The franchise area encompasses the Free State and Northern Cape. In terms of Currie Cup unions, the Cheetahs draw from Free State...
(lost 19-29) - First season game - Round 1, 2006 vs Brumbies (lost 10-25)
- First try - Scott FavaScott FavaScott Fava is a retired Australian rugby union footballer.-Super 14:Scott Fava began his Super Rugby career with the Queensland Reds in 1999, playing for three seasons before moving on to the ACT Brumbies...
vs Brumbies - First points - Scott Daruda (3 point penalty kick) vs Brumbies
- First conversion - Scott Daruda vs Brumbies
- First draw - Round 11, 2006 vs Crusaders (23-23)
- First drop goal - Matt Giteau vs CheetahsCentral CheetahsThe Central Cheetahs, known for sponsorship reasons as the Toyota Cheetahs, is a South African rugby union team that entered the Super Rugby competition in 2006. The franchise area encompasses the Free State and Northern Cape. In terms of Currie Cup unions, the Cheetahs draw from Free State...
- First penalty try - Pre-Season 2006 vs CheetahsCentral CheetahsThe Central Cheetahs, known for sponsorship reasons as the Toyota Cheetahs, is a South African rugby union team that entered the Super Rugby competition in 2006. The franchise area encompasses the Free State and Northern Cape. In terms of Currie Cup unions, the Cheetahs draw from Free State...
(19-29) - First win - Round 13, 2006 vs CheetahsCentral CheetahsThe Central Cheetahs, known for sponsorship reasons as the Toyota Cheetahs, is a South African rugby union team that entered the Super Rugby competition in 2006. The franchise area encompasses the Free State and Northern Cape. In terms of Currie Cup unions, the Cheetahs draw from Free State...
(16-14) - First home win - Round 6, 2007 vs the Hurricanes (18-17)
Controversies
In November 2007, Western Force players Scott FavaScott Fava
Scott Fava is a retired Australian rugby union footballer.-Super 14:Scott Fava began his Super Rugby career with the Queensland Reds in 1999, playing for three seasons before moving on to the ACT Brumbies...
and Richard Brown
Richard Brown (rugby player)
Richard Brown is an Australian rugby union footballer.-Career:He is one of six players to have represented the Western Force in all of its Super 14 games in 2007, and one of 14 Force players selected in the Wallabies train-on squad in May 2008. In 2009 Brown became the Wallabies first choice...
were fined and ordered to do community service for mistreating protected native quokka
Quokka
The Quokka , the only member of the genus Setonix, is a small macropod about the size of a domestic cat. Like other marsupials in the macropod family , the Quokka is herbivorous and mainly nocturnal...
s at a team bonding session on Rottnest Island
Rottnest Island
Rottnest Island is located off the coast of Western Australia, near Fremantle. It is called Wadjemup by the Noongar people, meaning "place across the water". The island is long, and at its widest point with a total land area of . It is classified as an A Class Reserve and is managed by the...
, 19 kilometres (11.8 mi) off the coast of Perth.
Eye-witness accounts stated that the players had mishandled the animals, including trapping and throwing them, though none were known to be seriously injured. Alcohol was said to be a factor.
As a result of the actions, Australian Wallaby number 8 Fava was ordered to pay $11,000, attend a week of community service and undergo counselling for alcohol abuse, while flanker
Flanker (rugby union)
A flanker is a position in the sport of rugby union. Flankers play in the forwards, and are generally classified as either blindside, or openside flankers; numbers six and seven respectively. The name comes from their position in a scrum in which they flank each set of forwards...
Richard Brown was sentenced to a $5000 fine as well as seven days' community service. Both fines were payable to the Rottnest Island Conservation Foundation.
In February 2008, Matt Henjak and Haig Sare were involved in a fight at a pub in Perth. Henjak hit Sare and broke his jaw and was sacked by the Force for misconduct. Haig Sare returned to play for the Force at the end of Season 2008 once his injuries healed.
Firepower funding debacle
Sponsorship payments from the fuel technology company FirepowerFirepower International
Firepower International was advertised as a Hong Kong-based company owned and operated by Global Fuel Technologies Ltd, specializing in technology purporting to reduce the fuel consumption and environmental impact of petrol-operated vehicles. There were other offices in Sydney, China, Rhodes,...
were a major factor in luring Wallaby star Matt Giteau and others to play for the Western Force in Perth. The luckless Giteau was one of a number of sportsmen owed millions of dollars by Firepower,
a new consortium offered to cover the Firepower money if Giteau extended his existing contract, however he chose not to, and returned to Canberra to play for the Brumbies.