The Western Force is an Australian professional rugby union team based in Perth, Western Australia, currently competing in Super Rugby Pacific. They previously played in Super Rugby from 2006 until they were axed from the competition in 2017. Following their axing they played in the National Rugby Championship in 2018 and 2019, replacing the Perth Spirit, and Global Rapid Rugby from 2018 to 2020, an Indo-Pacific competition organised by Andrew Forrest.
Perth Rectangular Stadium is a sports stadium in Perth, the capital of the Australian state of Western Australia. Located close to Perth's central business district, the stadium currently has a maximum capacity of 20,500 people for sporting events and 25,000 people for concerts, with the ground's record attendance of 32,000 people set during an Ed Sheeran concert in 2015. The land on which the stadium was built, known as Loton Park, was made a public reserve in 1904, with the main ground developed several years later.
Adrian Williams Barich is a sports presenter for television and radio, and a former Australian rules footballer for the West Coast Eagles and Perth Demons, and rugby league player.
The Sydney University Football Club, founded in 1863, is the oldest club now playing rugby union in Australia, although this date is disputed by historian Tom Hickie who argues that it was 1865.
Ryan Cross is a former Rugby Union footballer for Racing Metro 92 after signing from USA Perpignan in the French Top 14. He previously played for the Sydney Roosters in the National Rugby League (NRL) competition, the Western Force and the NSW Waratahs in Super Rugby and the Australia national rugby union team.
Matthew Dunning is an Australian former rugby union footballer. He played as a prop for the Waratahs and Western Force in Super Rugby, and represented Australia. He coached the Balmain rugby club in Sydney 2013/2014.
Scott Nicholas Gelling Staniforth is an Australian rugby union footballer who represented Australia at two Rugby World Cups, the successful 1999 campaign and again in 2007.
Robert Kearney is an Irish former rugby union player. He played for 15 years for Leinster followed by a six-month stint in Australia, playing for Perth based side Western Force. He also played over a decade for the Ireland national rugby union team with whom he earned 95 caps, and went on two British & Irish Lions tours in 2009 and 2013. As a youth he also played rugby union for Clongowes Wood College and Gaelic football for Louth in the All-Ireland Minor Football Championship.
Alexander R. Corbisiero is an English retired rugby union player who played as a loosehead prop.
Rugby union in Victoria describes the sport of rugby union being played and watched in the state of Victoria in Australia. The code was first introduced some time between the 1850s and 1880s but remained a minor sport played primarily in the private schools and amongst interstate expats. This has changed, particularly since the professionalisation of the game in the mid 1990s.
Angus John Stuart also known as Angus Stewart was a Scottish-born rugby union forward who played club rugby for Cardiff and Dewsbury. Although never capped at international level in his own country, in 1888 Stuart was chosen to tour New Zealand and Australia as part of the first British Isles team. Stuart later settled in New Zealand and played rugby for the All Blacks.
Matt Hodgson is an Australian sports administrator and former professional rugby union player for the Western Force and the Wallabies, the Australian national team. He is currently head of rugby at Global Rapid Rugby which launched its Asia-Pacific Showcase competition in 2019.
Nicolas William White is an Australia professional rugby union player who plays as a scrum-half for Super Rugby club Western Force and the Australia national team.
Kyle Godwin is a professional rugby union footballer who plays for Zimbabwe in international rugby, having previously played one test for Australia in 2016. He previously played for French club Lyon OU Rugby in the Top 14 competition, and the Western Force and Brumbies in Super Rugby. He also spent two years playing for Connacht in the URC, becoming a fan favourite. His regular playing position is centre, but has also found himself on the wing and fly half at times.
Rugby union in Western Australia describes the sport of rugby union being played and watched in the state of Western Australia. First introduced some time in 1868 it was the most popular football code until it was overtaken by Australian rules there in 1885. After a period of decline and recess between 1905 and 1927 it grew throughout the 20th century. The governing body is the Western Australia Rugby Union (RugbyWA).
Jermaine Ainsley is a New Zealand professional rugby union footballer who currently plays as a prop for the Otago Highlanders in the Super Rugby competition after previously being with the Rebels.
Jack Clowes, was an American-born British rugby union footballer of the 1880s, who played in Yorkshire for Halifax, and was selected to play at a representative level for the British Isles on the 1888 British Lions tour to New Zealand and Australia, the first tour by a team representing the British Isles. Clowes is notable for having been prohibited from playing on that 1888 tour due to the Rugby Football Union deeming him a professional, and for the subsequent ramifications of his case contributing to the creation of the Northern Rugby Football Union in 1895.
Nick Haining is a Scottish rugby union player who last played for Edinburgh Rugby in the United Rugby Championship.
Tom Sheminant is an Australian rugby union player who plays for the Force in Global Rapid Rugby and the Super Rugby AU competition. His original playing position is prop. He was named in the Force squad for the Global Rapid Rugby competition in 2020.
Rory O'Sullivan is an Australian rugby union player who plays for the Force in Global Rapid Rugby and the Super Rugby AU competition. His original playing position is scrum-half. He was named in the Force squad for the Global Rapid Rugby competition in 2020.
