Local Coach gets Force job

The Western Force is almost ready to compete in the new Super 14 competition. Over 14,000 Western Australian have become a part of the most exciting Rugby club in Australia.

Bit by bit players from all over the world have picked up a pen and signed for one, two and three years to be an inaugural players of Australia’s newest State team. Wallabies such as Brendan Cannon, Nathan Sharpe, Scott Fava, Matt Henjak and Western Australian two Test veteran John Welborn who has returned from France to be a part of it.

Ex-Brumby David Pusey who for several years has plied his trade in Ireland returns to battle for a place in the second row and Taranaki utility back James Hilgendorp decided to join his Perth based refereeing Uncle Peter. Young hopefuls from Canberra, Brisbane and Sydney have made the commitment - like Queensland Sprint champion Brett Stapleton, ex-soccer playing Canberra boy Alex Peden and dynamic young prop forward Pek Cowan left top Sydney Premier club Warringah to be a part of the latest Australian Rugby Union outfit – the Western Force.

The lure was also great for the management CEO Peter O’Meara gave up a place on the board of the NSW Rugby Union and a comfortable Sydney lifestyle to cement the foundations of the best support Australian team. New Zealand born John Mitchell beat off all comes to take the head coaches job.

Then Queenslander John Mulvihill was invited to become the backs coach and manage all of the strategically placed WA Rugby academies. Assistance in the set piece is provided Sydneysider and ex-Wallaby prop forward Ben Darwin, whose career was cruelly cut short after injuring his neck in the World Cup Semi-final that the Wallabies won against Mitchell’s New Zealanders at Aussie Stadium in 2003.

Another Mitchell connection is newly appointed New Zealand skills coach Tom Fearn who played for NPC team Whanganui after which he gained international Rugby Union experience playing in Italy. Then in 1988, Tom played 1st grade for Perth oldest club, Nedlands and represented WA at State level for eight years. On retiring he became head coach of Nedlands for five years, taking them to the premierships twice. After a year he joined the State’s Perth Gold as head coach in 2001 and then he took another Premier club Wests-Subiaco to championship glory twice in 2002-3, before accepting the Western Force position.

As the skills coach he will be supported by the experienced Wallabies and other senior players like Junior Pelesasa who represented Australia at the ‘A’ level, seven’s expert Matt Hodgson, under 21 point scoring machine Cameron Shepherd and under 19 captain Scott Daruda. There will be several players who will benefit from Tom’s skills sessions such as Warringah front row pair AJ Whalley and Luke Holmes, Brisbane Brothers Fullback Tahjon Smallman-Mailata and Gold Coast scrum half Vitori Buatava.

Remaining squad members:
Vitori Buatava (Breakers, Gold Coast), Pek Cowan (Warringah, Sydney), Tim Davidson (University, Sydney), Luke Holmes (Warringah, Sydney), Alexander Peden (Canberra Vikings, ACT), Tahjon Smallman-Mailata (Brothers, Brisbane), Brett Stapleton (ARU National Talent Squad), AJ Whalley (Warringah, Sydney), John Welborn# (Brive, France), Matt Windle (Breakers, Gold Coast).

Key – Previous club/province in brackets
* denotes Australian under 21 representative # denotes a Wallaby.

Russell Peart hosts Rugby Radio at 9:00am (Perth Time) every Sunday morning. You can tune in by switching the dial to 89.7FM or online via the TwinCities FM website.