Force W gear up for first ever tour to Japan

SQUAD ANNOUNCEMENT: The Western Force has named the 28-player squad for the upcoming women’s three-game tour of Japan ahead of the team’s departure on Wednesday.

The historic tour marks the first time the Force women’s team will play off-season games overseas and offers a valuable opportunity to build towards the 2025 Super Rugby Women’s season after qualifying for the finals for the first time in the Club’s history in 2024.

The core of the group has trained together for the past two months, including a scrimmage against Perth Gold on September 21, leading to the final selection.

Force women’s head coach Dylan Parsons said: “There are a number of new faces coming in. We’ve had a good training block leading into this tour. We’ve got a lot of young local girls getting an opportunity as well. It’s a feeling of excitement among the staff and players.”

The squad is bolstered by the inclusion of Wallaroos pair Cecilia Smith and Allana Sikimeti who’ll join the group straight from the WXV 2 triumph in Cape Town. Recent signing and 13-cap Wallaroo Sera Naiqama, who is a four-time Super W winner, is also among the group, having arrived in Perth a fortnight ago.

“It’s exciting to add quality players with their experience and in form coming from a WXV tournament,” Parsons said.

“They’ve just been in a professional environment day-in day-out. For our girls to rub shoulders with that caliber of players, see how they prepare and look after themselves in a tour setting is only going to benefit our young players that are coming through around what to expect.”

Force Wallaroos Michaela Leonard, Alapeta Ngauamo, and Samantha Wood – who won the Club’s 2024 Rebecca Clough medal – will also join the group following the WXV 2 success.

Recent Australia A representatives Brooklyn Teki-Joyce, Rosie Ebbage, and Loretta Mailangi are also named along with Wallaroo Tamika Jones who recently returned to training following injury.

Among the new faces are Wanneroo quartet Sofaia Talemaira (lock), Nami Dickson (back-rower), Ngamihi Monk (centre), and Topaz-Jean Porter (back row) who helped the Divaz win the 2024 WA Fortescue Women’s Premier Grade premiership last month.

“Sofaia is only 19 but she was Wanneroo’s captain which is a sign of her leadership qualities,” Parsons said. “She was part of the Western Force Female Academy and has come through the RugbyWA Academy, so we’re excited about her.

“Ngamihi was Wanneroo’s vice-captain and is only young too. She’s also come through the RugbyWA Academy system. Ngamihi has been really impressive in the training block and we are excited to see her develop more on tour.

“Along with Nami and Topaz, they’re coming through and performed really well in the 2024 club season and during our training block. They now get the opportunity to come on a Western Force tour.”

Force women’s head coach Dylan Parsons breaks down the selection of the 28-player squad which will head for an historic three-game Japan tour this week.

Check out the full video on Force TV ⏬https://t.co/gKAlNS0060#SuperW #JapanTour pic.twitter.com/PT8UZkSf37

— Western Force (@westernforce) October 14, 2024

Parsons also pointed to Palmyra centre Ocean Tuhua, Wests Scarborough winger Tizanae Kovacs, and Cottesloe forward Zoe Elliot as others to be rewarded out of the WA Fortescue Premier Grade.

“All of them performed really well during the club season,” Parsons said. “Some of them have come out of the RugbyWA Performance Academy so it’s great recognition of the work that they’ve put into that program and their performances at the club.

“Zoe Elliot has been around the wider group in our Super W extended squad for a couple of seasons as well. She’s another one who’s been chipping away and working hard and now gets an opportunity.

“She’s similar to Nami Dickson who’s come through and been in our Super W extended squad, so it’s great to see them rewarded.

“That’s part of the purpose of these tours, the local girls who are working really hard and performing well, they get recognized. To have an experience like this is reward for all that hard work.”

There’s also a handful of players on the tour on train-and-trial opportunities, including April Downey, Halley Derera, Leilani Hills, and Scotland international flanker Lucy Winter.

“We’re using it primarily as a development opportunity for the squad that’s here, but it’s also a genuine train and trial period as well,” Parsons said.

“Any of these players that want to play in Super W 2025, this is a chance to show what they can do at training and games but also how they interact within our squad. How do they prepare? how do they go on tour? It’s a really good chance to get a good look at these players and see what they can potentially bring for 2025.”

Injuries ruled out Aiysha Wigley (ACL), Rosie McGehan (ACL), Haylee Hifo (shoulder) and Keira MacAskill (shoulder) of selection. Trilleen Pomare, Lucy Dinnen and Anneka Stephens were also unavailable following recent workloads, the former two being with the Wallaroos in Cape Town.

Parsons added that there was plenty to gain for the Force women’s squad during the Japan tour, which comes with the 2025 Super W season still months away.

“When you have such a short season any extra games is gold for us,” Parsons said. “When you have three games on tour, plus another training block that allows us to have the squad together, it only sets us up to have a good crack at 2025.

“Any chance we have to play more games we’ve got to keep pushing for that. The club has been really supportive and driven around making that happen. We want all these players to get the opportunity to pull on the Western Force jersey as much as possible.”

Western Force Japan tour squad

Forwards: April Downey, Nami Dickson, Rosie Ebbage, Zoe Elliot, Topaz Porter, Tamika Jones, Michaela Leonard, Loretta Mailangi, Hera-Barb Malcolm Heke, Sera Naiqama, Alapeta Ngauamo, Hannah Palelei, Allana Sikimeti, Sofaia Talemaira, Braxton Walker, Lucy Winter,

Backs: Georgia Cormick, Halley Derera, Grace Freeman, Leilani Hills, Sheree Hume, Tizanae Kovacs, Nicole Ledington, Ngamihi Monk, Cecilia Smith, Ocean Tuhua, Brooklyn Teki-Joyce, Samantha Wood

Western Force Japan tour fixtures

Game 1: Western Force v Pearls / Yokohama TKM, Saturday, October 19, Nagano
Game 2: Western Force v Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix, Sunday, October 27, Fujiyoshida
Game 3: Western Force v Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix / Yokogawa Musashino Artemi Stars, Saturday, November 2, Tokyo