Western Force Women snap up rival players

The Western Force have boosted their ranks with a trio of acquisitions from rival Super W clubs for the upcoming 2024 season in fly-half Renae Nona, lock Rosie Ebbage and flanker Emilya Byrne.

The trio's signings round out the Force's 34-player squad ahead of the Super W season that starts on Friday 15 March against the Melbourne Rebels, with the club's first trial game on Friday week against Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix prior to the men's Super Rugby Pacific opener against the Hurricanes at HBF Park.

Nona, 21, joins the Force after leading the Queensland Reds to the 2023 Super W Grand Final, where she scored a try in a 38-30 loss to the Fijiana Drua, making her a player of interest for the Wallaroos set-up. Sunnybank product Nona, who is a proud Torres Strait Islander woman, scored three tries in the 2023 season for the Reds, offering versatility as a fly-half or fullback.

Brisbane-born Ebbage comes to the Force from the NSW Waratahs, for whom she started four games in the 2023 Super W season. The 175cm Downlands College graduate played for Easts Tigers in NSW Premier Grade, before breaking into the Tahs’ side in 2023.

Byrne also has linked up with the Force after previously being with the Reds, with the GPS Rugby Club product impressing during a train and trial period in December. The 23-year-old was part of the Reds’ wider training squad and is pushing towards making her Super W debut.

Force head coach Dylan Parsons was thrilled with the trio of signings ahead of the new season, which starts on Friday 15 March against the Melbourne Rebels at HBF Park.

“Renae was the last spot we needed to fill and we’re delighted to sign her, as she’s a quality player,” Parsons said.

“She’s a fly-half who has been in the Reds program for the last few seasons. She’s an experienced Super W player. She has ambitions to play for the Wallaroos and has been part of their training camp in Queensland in the past.

“We feel like she’s one of those players who’ll help push those in that position and add good competition but also provide a point of difference around how she plays.

“She’s very instinctive, wants to take the line on and create opportunities, which is another good difference to have in styles of play.

“Rosie has been involved with the Waratahs for the last few years and she adds quality in the second row, which is an important position. She’s still young, she has Wallaroos ambitions. She’s come across and added value straight away.

“Emilya actually came across as a train and trial during that pre-Christmas block. She was able to work her way to earn a spot. She’s a real hard worker and quite achiever. She’s one of those flankers who makes her tackles, makes lots of them and has great work ethic around that part of the game.”

2024 Western Force Super W squad: Emilya Byrne, Sara Cline, Rosie Ebbage, Kendra Fell, Zoe Gillard, Haylee Hifo, Sheree Hume, Tamika Jones, Natsuki Kashiwagi, Saelua Leaula, Nicole Ledington, Michaela Leonard, Keira MacAskill, Rosie McGehan, Hera-Barb Malcolm Heke, Hinata Komaki, Alapeta Ngauamo, Renae Nona, Hannah Palelei, Trilleen Pomare, Ariana Ruru-Hinaki, Anneka Stephens, Pia Tapsell, Libya Teepa, Harono Te Iringa, Brooklyn Teki-Joyce, Dallys Tini, Alanis Toia, Numi Tupaea, Braxton Walker, Aiysha Wigley, Samantha Wood - Seneti Kilisimasi, Siutiti Ma’ake (PacificAus Sports scholarships)