The 2025 Fortescue Academy Squad has today been confirmed with a strong contingent of homegrown local players along with a mix of elite emerging talent from the east and abroad.
The Force have named a 29-player group ahead of an exciting year for the Academy with increased playing opportunities to come.
The group will be coached by ex-All Blacks forward Jeremy Force and former Force half-back Jono Lance.
Academy general manager Damian Steele was thrilled by the portion of Western Australians within the squad, which sits at over 50 per cent underlining the local talent pool and development structures working in conjunction with RugbyWA.
Steele said: “Out of the 28 players, we’ve got 15 locals which is a positive and speaks to the talent pool that exists here in Perth and a thorough and robust talent identification process and development over the last couple of years.
“It also speaks to the success of the Under-16s and Under-19s concept because it allows those players to showcase their abilities at representative level.
“That brings players on to our radar and we hopefully develop them into Western Force players.”
Over the past two seasons, Fortescue Academy players Marley Pearce and Ronan Leahy have been elevated to make their Super Rugby debuts. Leahy along with Mitch Watts and Doug Philipson graduated from the Academy into the 2025 Super Rugby squad this off-season.
Steele said that’s a clear sign of the pathway that exists within the Force set-up, but added there’s a great alignment between the two programs, working with head coach Simon Cron and his staff.
“There is a strong focus from the organisation to ensure the Force is as homegrown and home developed as possible,” Steele said.
“Ultimately our primary responsibility is to develop players to become professional players for the Force.
“Others like Albert Alcock, Dane Sawers and Justin Landman also toured with the Force squad for the spring series in South Africa last year, which speaks to the bridging of the gap between Academy and Super.
“We had nine Academy players do the pre-Christmas pre-season block with the Force while the Wallabies were away, and some players still training each week with the Super squad. It is our job to ensure the players are prepared for a smooth transition into Super rugby.”
The Fortescue Academy’s reputation continues to grow, with Australia Under-18’s Sevens stand-out Wallace Charlie among the latest high-calibre junior talent to head west.
“Over the last couple of years, emerging players like Boston Fakafanua, Henry James, Albert Alcock and Finn Prass, who’d played age-group rugby for the Waratahs and Reds have made their way over,” Steele said.
“In terms of this year’s new players, Berakah Tuifaasisina played Queensland Schoolboys, Nate Gallagher was the Australian Schoolboys’ number 8, and Wallace Charlie is a standout prospect who dominated the World Youth 7s in December, where he was named tournament MVP and guided the Australia Under-18s Sevens team to tournament glory, and has been training with the Australia Mens Sevens squad in recent weeks.
“It's really good to see the interest and commitment from those calibre of players.”
2025 Fortescue Academy squad
Albert Alcock, Jasper Asi, Ollie Barrett, Riley Brewis, Billy Browne (Wests Scarborough), Wallace Charlie, Boston Fakafanua, Nate Gallagher, Harry Goggin, Kauri Grace (Wests Scarborough), Luke Holt-Brown (Perth Bayswater), Henry James, Justin Landman (Associates), Ollie McGinnity, Ryan McGloin (Joondalup Brothers), Brodie Mainwaring (Wanneroo), Luke Megson (Associates), Peni Naqau (Southern Lions), Oakley Pearce (Joondalup Brothers), Finn Prass, Dane Sawers (Kalamunda), Max Sawers (Kalamunda), HD Stemmet, Manaia TeTana (Wanneroo), Tiam Toufan (UWA), Berakah Tuifaasisina, Tamarangi Tunui (Wanneroo), Rhymen Tusi, Zane Wesley (Wanneroo)
