RugbyWA’s Premier State Team, Perth Gold, will take on Western Force in a battle of Western Australia’s best this Saturday at UWA Sports Park.
The select teams, comprised of representatives from the Fortescue Men’s and Women’s Premier Grades, will tackle the Perth-based Super Rugby club for the first time in two and a half years when they meet this weekend.
Perth Gold is a part of RugbyWA's representative community pathway program catering for player and coach progression and aspiration. With a long history, the Premier state team has been representing the state domestically and internationally since the early 1900’s, and having notably come against the Wallabies, the British Irish Lions and the Springboks.
Competing in domestic and local tournaments over many decades, Perth Gold has found themselves victorious against some of the best, including winning the Australian Rugby Shield, as well as the National Rugby Championship in 2019.
2023 saw the first time a Perth Gold Women’s team competed in the Australian Rugby Championship.
The Perth Gold side will see players from throughout the Premier Grades unite on the field just two weeks post-Grand Finals as a show of the talent within the state-level competition. The squad will feature players from Cottesloe, Kalamunda Districts, UWA, Nedlands, Southern Lions, Perth Bayswater, Wests Scarborough and Joondalup Brothers.
Notably, Premiership players from Associates, HD Stemmet, Cristiano Tizzano and Sam Meecham, will all feature in the training squad, in addition to Hayze Nepia, Piersen Kennington, Potu Leavasa, Tyron Law, Benji Hoppe, Jack Grooby, Marcus Arrindell, Hanley Setu and Siosaia Paese from Minor Premiers, Palmyra.
RugbyWA’s 2024 PG Hampshire recipient and Top Point Scorer, Matty Lansdown (Nedlands), will also feature in the Perth Gold squad was also named in the squad.
Meeting in competition for the first time since the conclusion of the Super Rugby season, the Western Force will see their Spring Series squads take to the field, ahead of their tours to Japan and South Africa.
The Western Force side will feature Premier Grade players Justin Landman, who was part of Associates’ Premiership side, Dane Sawers (Kalamunda), Issak Fines-Leleiwasa (Perth Bayswater) and Marley Pearce (Joondalup Brothers).
The Western Force team coming against Perth Gold is available here.
The Perth Gold Women’s side will be entering a scrummage session with the Western Force SuperW side travelling to Japan next month. Players from across the six Fortescue Women’s Premier Grade teams will make up the Perth Gold squad.
The training squad features a plethora of Wanneroo Divaz Premiership players, who dominated in the Premier Grade season. These players include Ai Dickson, Frieda Ah-Sam, Huia Turoa-Swannell, Mahina A Rangi Clair, Nami Dickson, Paihau Pomare, Shiane Kani, Sera Ah-Sam, Sofaia Talemaiea and Zion Taurima.
RugbyWA’s 2024 Top Point Scorer, Valuese Tiakia from Wests Scarborough Warriors, also featured in the lineup.
With kickoff set for this Saturday, RugbyWA is hoping to see the rugby community present to #FillTheHill at UWA Sports Park in support of the Premier Grade players.
“With the opportunity to test the best in the state against the Western Force, it shows the depth and scope of the talent we have within the Western Australian rugby community,” RugbyWA General Manager – Rugby, Dane Lazarus, said last month.
“We hope to see the RugbyWA community get behind our men and women in Black and Gold.”
Perth Gold v. Western Force will take place this Saturday, September 21 at UWA Sports Park from 12:30PM.
Further information about the event is available here.
Perth Gold v. Western Force Fixtures
12:30PM - Western Force SuperW v. Perth Gold Women Scrummage Session
2:30PM – Western Force v. Perth Gold Men
