Western Force recruit Darcy Swain says getting on tour in South Africa is the best way to get to know his new teammates ahead of the opening Toyota Challenge game against the Cheetahs (Thursday 1am WST).
Swain, 27, has been named to play for the Force for the first time having linked up with the Club in Perth last month, before jetting to Bloemfontein with the touring squad last Wednesday.
The travelling squad have been hard at work in training but also spent time on safari on Monday ahead of their first game of the Toyota Challenge (Force games are live on Stan Sport).
The 17-cap Wallabies lock knows the likes of Issak Fines-Leleiwasa, Bayley Kuenzle, Sam Carter and Nic White from his time with the ACT Brumbies, but there’s plenty of new faces to get familiar with.
“There’s no better way to get to know blokes than get on tour and live in each other’s pockets for 24/7 for two weeks straight,” Swain told Force TV prior to the team’s departure for South Africa.
“I’ll definitely be getting to know everyone here. I’m bloody keen to do that, get to know everyone and rip in with everyone.”
The Force will play the Cheetahs (Thursday 1am WST), followed by Emerging Ireland (Sunday 7pm WST), with both games live streamed on Stan Sport. From there, the side will travel to Stellenbosch to face the DHL Western Province XV (Saturday 12 October 9pm WST).
Swain was excited about the prospect of facing the 2023 Currie Cup-winning Cheetahs, who edged the Force 3-1 in a four-game series last year.
“Currie Cup semi-finalists, they only just went down to the Lions,” Swain said.
“Bloody tough opposition, they’re very hard at home. Obviously we’re traveling 12 hours to get there, it’s a bit of a stint. I know it’s something that we can do. The series last year was very close. I want to do that again.”
Swain’s move to the Force comes after eight years with the Brumbies, where he captained the side, played in a Super Rugby AU title and earned his Wallabies debut in 2021.
The 200cm second-rower, who was born in Queensland's far north before moving to Canberra straight after high school, explained he felt the time was right to make the switch west.
“It was just time for a fresh start,” he said. “I’d been there for eight years and in Canberra for 10 years.
“It was time for a fresh start, it was an opportunity to come west and it was one I didn’t want to turn down.
“To do something with a young group and a group that’s doing something, building for the future, I want to be part of that.
“It sounds a bit cliché, but I want to come over and do something different. The opportunity to come over with Crono and a few of the boys I’ve played with in the past, I didn’t want to turn it down.”
Swain has also got a young family to look after, with his partner and young son headed west later in the year, once he returns from South Africa.
“We just welcomed little Roman into the world a few months ago now,” Swain said. “It’s exciting, it’s different being a dad. I’m finding it hard being away from them."
As for his hobbies now he's a father, he laughed: “It means no more golf! I was a bit of a golfer. There’s a bit of a crew back in Canberra, we called ourselves the Gold Creek Golfers. We used to jam quite a bit, but not anymore.
“It’s gone from twice a week to twice a month, if that. Just enjoying time with the little fella at the moment.”
For now, Swain has put down the clubs, with the focus on the rugby with the Force ahead of their Toyota Challenge opener against the Cheetahs.
2025 Force Memberships will go on sale on Tuesday 8 October at westernforce.rugby.
