The Australian sides have confirmed their trial schedule ahead of the Super Rugby Pacific season kicking off on February 13th.
All four teams will play two matches, with the fixtures spread out over three weeks in late January-early February.
Watch every second of Super Rugby Pacific live and on demand via Stan Sport.
The Western Force will kick off preparations, hosting two fixtures at Scotch College in Perth against the Queensland Reds on January 23rd and the ACT Brumbies on January 30th, with both matches open to the public and free entry for fans.
It caps off a busy February in the west, with the HSBC SVNS landing in Perth from 7th-8th February, and the Force opening their season the following week against the Brumbies on Saturday, 14th February, with the hosts spending the opening fortnight at home.
“It’s exciting to lock in our pre-season program with two quality hit-outs against really good opposition ahead of the new season,” said head coach Simon Cron.
“The squad is currently working hard in pre-season, and we’ll hit the ground running in January once we return from the Christmas break with a view to these games.
“We’d love to see the Sea of Blue out in support of us at the games, and we encourage them to come along to see the players in action.”
After Perth, the Reds will complete their preseason by hosting the NSW Waratahs at Ballymore on Saturday, January 31st, capping off their preparations a fortnight before the two sides meet again in their respective season opener in Sydney.
The Waratahs will then travel to Marist College in Canberra to play the Brumbies on Thursday, 5th February, the final trial for both sides.
“Travelling to Brisbane and Canberra is a great opportunity to test ourselves as we gear up for Super Rugby Pacific in 2026,” Waratahs head coach Dan McKellar said.
“During pre-season, we’re facing the best two Australian Super Rugby franchises over the past few years, who will again be strong next season.
“We’ve had a good pre-season so far, the playing group has really applied themselves and worked extremely hard to get to where we want them to be.
“These two matches will give us a big target to aim at when we return from the Christmas break in January.”
Having played their preseason trial against the Western Force last year at Marist College, ACT Brumbies General Manager of High Performance Cam Treloar believes the fixture, which will be free for the public, will serve as another opportunity for the Brumbies to give back to the Canberra community.
“Marist continues to provide high-quality athletes into the junior and senior academy pathway programmes here at the Brumbies,” Treloar said.
“Senior players Rory Scott and Liam Bowron are ex-pupils of Marist, and they, like many others, have showcased the rich rugby history of the school and why it is important for the team to stay connected here in Canberra.
“The fields and facilities have also been a major factor in bringing this trial match back to Marist. They have worked hard to get it to a great standard, and we hope in return, we can put on a great performance for the school.”
Western Force vs Queensland Reds – Friday, 23 January, 4:35 pm WST / 6:35 pm AEST – Scotch College, Perth
Western Force vs ACT Brumbies – Friday, 30 January, 4:35 pm WST / 7.35 pm AEDT – Scotch College, Perth
Queensland Reds vs NSW Waratahs – Saturday, 31 January, 2:00 pm AEST / 3:00 pm AEDT – Ballymore Stadium, Brisbane
ACT Brumbies vs NSW Waratahs – Thursday, 5 February, 1.30 pm AEDT – Marist College, Canberra
