The end of 2024 is nigh, meaning it’s a time for reflection on the past 12 months gone. And there’s plenty to celebrate for the Western Force.
So here’s a list of five of the best Force moments from 2024;
Force reach Super W finals for the first time
Force women’s head coach Dylan Parsons instilled a theme to “be the first” in the 2024 season and that summed up the Super W campaign perfectly.
Firstly, the side knocked off the Queensland Reds in Round 2 for the first time in Club history, triumphing 24-14 in a four-tries-to-two victory. The Force went on to secure a semi-finals berth for the first time, closed out with a thrilling final round win over the ACT Brumbies in Canberra. That gave the Force a winning Super W season record (3-2) for the first time too.
The Force pushed reigning champions Fijian Drua all the way in the side’s maiden semi-final, but ultimately went down in front of a sell-out crowd in Lautoka, 25-14.
Force end decade-long Crusaders drought
In Round 9, the Force toppled the Crusaders for the first time in more than a decade. On a memorable evening, the Force ran in four tries, shaking off a second-half Crusaders charge, with Sam Carter and Carlo Tizzano dotting late to seal the 37-15 bonus-point triumph.
The game marked Kurtley Beale’s Force debut, with the full-back impressing with some nice touches, while Ben Donaldson was deadly with the boot, kicking five penalties and a conversion.
Izack Rodda made a big impact on his return from injury, thrust into the game in the 20th minute after a Tom Franklin injury. The Force’s first win over the Crusaders in more than a decade came off the back of a massive defensive effort, often repelling wave after wave of Crusaders attack on their own line.
Carlo’s our homegrown Wallabies debutant
Four Force players earned their Wallabies debuts this year; Jeremy Williams, Carlo Tizzano, Hamish Stewart and Harry Potter. All were special occasions but the international debut of WA-born-and-bred openside flanker Tizzano was extra significant for rugby in the west.
UWA back-rower Tizzano’s call-up came after an outstanding Super Rugby Pacific campaign where he led the league for tackles (240) underlined by his tenacious work rate. Tizzano made his Australia bow in August against the Springboks in Brisbane, becoming the first WA-raised player to debut for the Wallabies since 2017.
A fortnight later, he made a dream appearance in his hometown when Australia took on South Africa in front of 58,000 fans at Optus Stadium. The stat was shared that Tizzano made 57 from 57 tackles in his first three international caps, proving he belongs at the top level.
The Force’s growing legion of Wallabies is also reason for optimism moving forward, with Nic White, Ben Donaldson, Brandon Paenga-Amosa and Dylan Pietsch also firmly entrenched in the national set-up nowadays.
Homegrown Wallaroos debuts
Similarly, four Force players made their Wallaroos debuts in the calendar year; Samantha Wood, Hera-Barb Malcolm Heke, Alapeta Ngauamo and Lucy Dinnen.
Kalamunda duo Wood and Malcolm Heke showcased the pathway of WA women’s rugby into the national set-up with their national call-ups. The pair debuted together in Australia’s clash with Canada in May. Their journeys were both different; ARKS junior Wood as a breakout 20-year-old scrum-half and Malcolm Heke as a tough-tackling 24-year-old hooker and club stalwart of WA rugby.
Ngauamo and Dinnen, who both switched Queensland for Perth in 2024, made their Wallaroos debuts in their 30s. Those two along with Wood, Michaela Leonard and Trilleen Pomare were on board when the Wallaroos won the WXV 2 in Cape Town in October too.
Donaldson helps Force pile on the points
The Force equalled the club’s second highest score in Super Rugby history with a 48-10 triumph over the Fijian Drua in Round 12.
The WA side scored six tries with fly-half Ben Donaldson faultless, scoring 23 points from six conversions, two penalties and a late try to cap a stand-out display. Donaldson’s 23 points placed him behind only Cam Shepherd (25) for most points in a single game by a Force player.
The Force went into the game knowing nothing more than a win would do and they delivered, with the likes of Donaldson, Hamish Stewart and Bayley Kuenzle outstanding. Playmaker Donaldson’s late try showed his speed and elusiveness, capping off the big win in style.
