Western Force coach Dylan Parsons has reaffirmed the side's Super Rugby Women's title aspirations as they look to begin with a bang against the Fijiana Drua.
The Force have arrived in Lautoka looking for a statement as they search for a maiden win in Fiji.
Watch every second of the 2026 Super Rugby Women's season live and on demand via Stan Sport.
It comes off the back of back-to-back semi-final eliminations, dumped out of the 2025 competition by eventual champions NSW Waratahs, searching for a maiden title.
But with a host of internationals in their squad, the message is clear.
"The expectations is we want to go out there and win this competition and the group is super motivated for that," Parsons said.
"I think just with the added internationals that we have and the experience that the new players got in Pac Four, they've come back with an added bit of confidence in not only their own ability but then the ability of the whole group.
"We get our chance to see where we're at and Fiji in Fiji is one of the hardest tests so we're really excited to see how we go against them."
There are 12 internationals in their starting side, including Wallaroos halves Samantha Wood and Nicole Ledington.
Wood takes the co-captaincy alongside Trilleen Pomare, with Brooklyn Teki-Joyce and Cecilia Smith also coming off Wallaroos campaigns.
"Sammy's a really impressive player and person and she's a true Western Force woman as well. She's been with us since she's basically been 16 years old and she's had her own ups and downs around injury and availability," Parsons said.
"...I think it's just the start of her long career and a really high-level career as well, which we're excited about. She's a rugby nerd that loves the game and that's where the smarts around the tactical side comes into play."
The Force have named six debutants for the clash, with versatile Japan international Seina Saito named for her first appearance at number eight.
"It was definitely the experience element of just the amount of international caps that she's had, but also just her utility value as well. She actually played hooker for us in the first two trial games so we brought her in as a number eight but we always had her in mind as a third hooker," Parsons said.
"To have that ability to play back row and keep position like hooker, that was one of the main parts of our recruitment because we found over the last couple of seasons that throughout the season hookers become a problem around unavailability for different reasons."
Kalamunda hooker Hera-Barb Malcolm Heke will run out for her 25th cap, becoming only the second Force player to reach the celebrated milestone, given the short length of the Super W season.
"She's been a really important part of this group for many seasons now," Parsons said.
"It takes a number of seasons to get to that 25th milestone. She's put in a lot throughout that period, she stood by the Club, got a Wallaroos cap, all while being a young mum.
"She's our second one ever and is a really important part of our history now. To go out there as starting hooker in a game that suits her from the physicality side, she's going to get some Drua girls running straight at her. She loves that so hopefully a few highlight reels with hits coming up."
Watch every second of the 2026 Super Rugby Women's season live and on demand via Stan Sport.
