Four players will make starting debuts for the Western Force on Saturday with the 23-player team list confirmed to take on the ACT Brumbies in Round 1 of the 2026 Swyftx Super Rugby Pacific season at HBF Park.
Off-season recruits Franco Molina, Nathan Hastie and George Bridge have been named for their Force debut starts, while Harry Johnson-Holmes will deputise for the Club following two long-term injuries in Saturday’s Valentine’s Day clash dubbed ‘For The Love Of Rugby Game’.
The tighthead prop missed his debut season in Force blue after an ACL injury sustained in pre-season, following on from an Achilles injury in the 2024 campaign, marking more than 600 days between Super Rugby appearances.
Your Super Rugby Pacific heroes are back in Fantasy, make sure they are in your team for Round 1. Start building your Fantasy team today.
The Force has named three debutants among the impacts with Argentinian hooker Leonel Oviedo and props Sef Fa’agase and Misinale Epenisa to get their maiden opportunities. Molina, Oviedo and Epenisa will also be making their full Super Rugby debuts.
Molina, Oviedo and Tongan front-rower Epenisa will also be making their full Super Rugby debuts.
The game marks WA openside flanker Carlo Tizzano’s 50th Super Rugby cap.
Secure your Round 1 tickets NOW via Ticketmaster. Tickets from $28 for adults & $14 for children.
Reigning Nathan Sharpe medalist Tom Robertson starts on the front row alongside Wallabies hooker Brandon Paenga-Amosa and Johnson-Holmes.
Captain Jeremy Williams will line up in the locks alongside Los Pumas second-rower Franco Molina.
The run-on back row will feature Vaiolini Ekuasi, Carlo Tizzano and Wallaby Nick Champion de Crespigny.
Hastie has won the race to be the starting scrum-half, with 2024 Nathan Sharpe medal winner Ben Donaldson alongside him at fly-half.
Wallaby Hamish Stewart and 17-cap All Black George Bridge start in the centres, with Bayley Kuenzle and Divad Palu on the wings and full-back Mac Grealy rounding out the back three.
Oviedo, Fa’agase and Epenisa are joined by Wallabies lock Darcy Swain, back-rower Will Harris, scrum-half Henry Robertson, 2025 Super Rugby AUS Player of the Tournament Max Burey and 95-cap Wallaby Kurtley Beale as reserves.
The game will be broadcast live on Stan Sport, with live radio commentary on 91.3 SportFM too. Tickets are available via Ticketmaster.
There will be a range of historical and Valentine's Day themed activations to mark the 'For The Love Of Rugby Game', with the fixture occurring 20 years and four days on from the Force's first-ever Super Rugby game in front of 37,000 fans at Subiaco Oval against the Brumbies in 2006.
Your Super Rugby Pacific heroes are back in Fantasy, make sure they are in your team for Round 1. Start building your Fantasy team today.
Game details
Western Force vs ACT Brumbies
Saturday 14 February, 4:35pm WST
HBF Park, Perth
Live on Stan Sport (TV) & 91.3 SportFM (radio)
Tickets from $28 for adults & $14 for children via Ticketmaster
Western Force team list
1 Tom Robertson
2 Brandon Paenga-Amosa
3 Harry Johnson-Holmes
4 Jeremy Williams (c)
5 Franco Molina
6 Vaiolini Ekuasi
7 Carlo Tizzano
8 Nick Champion de Crespigny (vc)
9 Nathan Hastie
10 Ben Donaldson (vc)
11 Bayley Kuenzle
12 Hamish Stewart
13 George Bridge
14 Divad Palu
15 Mac Grealy
Reserves; Leonel Oviedo, Sef Fa’agase, Misinale Epenisa, Darcy Swain, Will Harris, Henry Robertson, Max Burey, Kurtley Beale
Unavailable
Nic Dolly (knee) – short term
Doug Philipson (knee) – long term
Feao Fotuaika (foot) – medium term
Dylan Pietsch (foot) – short term
Darby Lancaster (thigh) – short term
Alex Harford (shoulder) – long term
Secure your Round 1 tickets NOW via Ticketmaster. Tickets from $28 for adults & $14 for children.
