Western Force stalwart Trilleen Pomare will once again captain the side for a sixth-successive Super Rugby Women’s season — and she will be joined by emerging young star Samantha Wood.
The rising Wallaroos scrum-half will co-captain the Force alongside Pomare after the team announced their leadership group for the looming Super W season.
The squad held a player vote for the captaincy and leadership roles last week, confirming the roles ahead of the side’s pre-season trial games and the season itself, which starts away to the Fijian Drua on June 13.
Pomare has captained the Force every year since 2021 and called time on her international career after a decorated, 43-cap Test spell for the Wallaroos.
The 33-year-old last year won the Rebecca Clough Medal — the Force women’s highest individual honour — and has played 32 games and scored six tries since debuting in the inaugural Super W season.
21-year-old Wood missed all of last season for the Force due to a shoulder injury, but the scrum-half recovered in time to play every Australia game at last year’s Women’s Rugby World Cup.
Force Super W head coach Dylan Parsons said the impact the pair had on the group was immense.
“Going through a voting system, it shows how much Trills is still valued and respected in the group. It’s a good sign of the influence she has,” he said.
“She has experience in the role and the trust of the players. Her presence is so important to how we perform.
“The group has huge respect for Trills and they can see the freshness of Sammy and what she can bring. They’ll complement each other well.
“Sammy’s a mature soul. She’s a student of the game who loves it and that shows through her understanding to communicate and deliver the right messages at the right time.
“She’s grown from adversity and is full of gratitude to simply play the game she loves. She gained a lot from her World Cup experience, starting every game she played and became a leader in that group within a short amount of time, which shows the respect at national level and it was only a matter of time before that translated at club level.”
Pomare and Wood will be supported by Wallaroos’ all-time leader for most caps Michaela Leonard as vice-captain.
“Mac’s experience speaks for itself with everything she’s done for the national team. She’s been with us for four seasons and she’s a Perth girl now, she’s one of our own,” Parsons said.
“She’s so respected as shown by the vote. She sets high standards in how she conducts herself and prepares. She is a great role model and shows daily how to be a professional rugby player. Mac complements Sammy and Trill very well as leaders.”
The Force also voted in a six-player leadership group, featuring prop Alapeta Ngauamo, hooker Hera-Barb Malcolm Heke, back-rower Anneka Stephens, fly-half Nicole Ledington, midfielder Ngamihi Monk and prop Hannah Palelei.
