curious as I saw it mentioned on a nz website as well
[QUOTE=SPaRTAN;451340]Crusaders in line to tackle Western Force
Re the above Nick Taylor article
“Hit cancer for 6, with your Pink Stumps Day
McGrath Foundation Sponsored
Force will play in the National Rugby Championship that starts in September...............”
Is this really our new name and sponsor?
I will strangle the person in the crowd that starts the “ Give me an H !......” chant
Not sure about the sponsor but I understand that, for now at least, our NRC team will be called the Force not the Perth Spirit.
Proudly Western Australian; Proudly supporting Western Australian rugby
If I had to guess, I'd say it will be called whatever it was called in the CBA that committed RA to include them...
Great to see an old time favorite returning home
Kieran Longbottom commits to Western Force for Indo Pacific Rugby Championship.
Nick Taylor | The West Australian
Thursday, 15 February 2018 12:01AM
History making Western Force prop Kieran Longbottom is heading back to where it all started.
The WA-born front rower is the latest player to sign for the new Force to play in mining billionaire Andrew Forrest’s Indo Pacific Rugby Championship and the National Rugby Championship.
Longbottom entered Force folklore on May 3, 2008 against the Chiefs at Subiaco when he became the first West Australian to go through local rugby ranks and make his Super Rugby debut.
Six years later, after 57 appearances, he moved to English powerhouse club Saracens for two seasons. He then had a year at Sale before moving back to Saracens this season.
The 118kg tighthead, who held the Force bench press record of 175kg during his time at the club, said he was looking forward to making his return.
“I’m incredibly excited to be coming home to Western Australia to play in front of the Sea of Blue again,” Longbottom said.
“Perth and the Western Force is my home, and everyone in the Sea of Blue is my extended family.
“I can’t wait to pull the Force jersey back on and be part of this great club again.”
Longbottom started playing rugby as a 13-year-old at All Saints College in Bull Creek, joined Rockingham under-14s and progressed through junior grades, WA representative sides, the Force academy, Perth Gold, Perth Spirit and ultimately Super Rugby.
He qualifies for England through his late maternal grandmother, something he did not realise until he announced the move to Saracens.
At the same time he discovered he had come onto the Wallabies radar but the overseas deal had been struck.
However, his career in England was cruelled by injury.
He suffered an unusual foot injury in just his fourth game for Saracens and needed two operations, spent six months in a protective boot.
The foot was so damaged he developed a strange walking style and literally had to learn how to run again.
He finally played 20 games for the Sharks, making his first appearance after 714 days on the sidelines.
Longbottom joins former Springbok Peter Grant and US international and outside back Marcel Brache who have re-signed for the new Force. More announcements are expected.
https://thewest.com.au/sport/western...-ng-b88745085z
More from Matt
Minderoo High Performance Manager Matt Hodgson said Longbottom would be a valuable addition to any side and the Western Force was lucky to have lured him home.
“We are delighted as an organisation to get a player like Kieran back, not only into Australian Rugby but back to his home in WA,” Hodgson said.
“Having played and worked with Kieran over many seasons he is not only a quality player but a quality addition to the culture we are looking to achieve, which is evident in his winning the Force Man of the Year award.”
As part of Longbottom’s contract he has committed to contributing 350 hours of his time to community programs, including the RugbyRoos junior development initiative launched by Minderoo earlier this month.
https://www.rugbywa.asn.au/news/kier...western-force/
Great news now for another 24 at least 😊😊
Great to hear he will be back!
That is awesome if we can get more of the WA boys to come back then we are good to go.
Generally speaking you aren’t learning much if your lips are moving!!!
IPRC righting some wrongs from the myopic twats at the ARU
C'mon the
Another reason we need multi-like in this joint
C'mon the
Two former Boks to play for Force
World Cup-winning centre Jaque Fourie is set to make a playing return to rugby for the Force.
The 34-year-old announced his retirement in 2017, but according to Rapport, he received an offer to play for the Force in the new Indo Pacific Rugby Championship bankrolled by tycoon Andrew Forrest.
Fourie is reportedly waiting on the finalised paperwork before his participation in the competition is confirmed.
Another former Springbok, Ryan Kankowski, is also set to join the Force in the competition.
Forrest has revealed that over 250 elite players across the world have been contacted to partake in the rebel tournament.
http://www.sarugbymag.co.za/blog/det...play-for-Force
Onya Twiggy that is serious news we are waiting Raelene.Originally Posted by volvo
Andries Bekker was approached but took a coaching job offer in Japan.
"Rebel tournament."
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote