When the Western Force run out on Friday night for the opening game of their 2024 Super Rugby campaign, it will mark something of a full-circle moment for a club that was axed not so long ago.
Under the ownership of Perth billionaire Andrew Forrest, the Force has emerged from the wilderness as one of the most stable clubs in Australian rugby, at a time when others are battling to survive.
The club that survived the cull in 2017 at the Force’s expense, the Melbourne Rebels, is in administration with no guarantees from Rugby Australia (RA) it will survive beyond this year.
Meanwhile, the ACT Brumbies and NSW Waratahs are also reportedly struggling financially, with the Waratahs now under the control of RA.
The stability offered by Forrest’s ownership has lured several Wallabies to the west, including fly-half Ben Donaldson and veteran scrum half Nic White, while it has also become the first club to sign a full-time women’s coach.
“There’s a lot of stability here, which is pretty rare for Australian rugby at the moment and clubs,” White said on his first impressions on joining the Force.
White is a self-confessed optimist, but he admits the code is in strife in a country saturated by sports, and coming off a terrible World Cup campaign.
“The game is on its knees a little bit at the moment,” he said.
“While there’s a bit of uncertainty around rugby in Australia at the moment, there’s also this clean slate and an opportunity to build something really special.”
The next four years appear critical to the survival of rugby in Australia as it currently operates, with a British and Irish Lions Tour in 2025, and then a home Rugby World Cup in 2027.
RA has recently borrowed $80 million to stave off its own insolvency issues, while major sponsor Harvey Norman ended its support of Super Rugby.
Finance platform eToro switched its attention to the A-Leagues instead of renewing a three-year deal with the Wallabies that expired at the end of 2023.
No shortage of talent
But while rugby in Australia teeters, White remains upbeat, especially around the crop of talented players in the Force squad.
“We’re going to see a number of Wallabies come from the Force,” he said.
“I’ve seen it done well in previous clubs that I’ve been at, successful clubs, and I’m seeing a lot of those traits and the ingredients here.”
“There’s a really talented young group here that work hard and if they continue to just stay focused on what’s in front of them, and the process, then that goal of going deep into this season and and becoming a Wallaby will come through for a lot of these guys.”
At 33, White is closer to the end than the beginning of his career, but he has been named vice-captain of his new side, serving alongside young skipper Jeremy Williams and fellow vice-captain Michael Wells.
The 66-cap Wallaby believes he has still got plenty to offer, both on and off the field.
“It is a young group. We’ve got a guy who’s 23 captaining the club, a lot of really young guys,” he said.
“I think my role is to lean on my experiences and pass that on.”
“I’ve obviously got a lot of experience, I’ve made a lot of mistakes, done some things well, and seen some clubs do some things really well.”
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