Western Force head coach Dylan Parsons conceded Saturday’s semi-final loss to the NSW Waratahs hurts but says the team’s “time will come” following another season of progress.
The Force went down 33-22 to the ‘Tahs in the Swyftx Super Rugby Women’s semi-final at HBF Park, unable to reel in a first-half deficit after the visitors raced to a 26-0 lead.
The finals exit made it three semi-final losses in a row for the Force, which Parsons admitted was “heartbreaking” but he preferred to focus on the positives.
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In 2026, the Force won three straight games for the first time in Club history and knocked off the NSW Waratahs for the first time in Club history, becoming the first Australian club to achieve that feat against the six-time champion.
The Force also hosted a home semi-final for the first time, but a Grand Final spot remained elusive.
“It hurts a lot. Heartbreaking for the girls and the club,” Parsons said after the game.
“But I’m also really proud around the resilience we’ve shown this year. We’ve had a tough year around selection, injuries and availability but the girls keep showing up every week.
“It didn’t matter if it was the 80th minute or the 81st minute, we were always chasing the results we were after.
“To get a few more firsts for the clubs, to be our first home semi-final, to win three in a row for the first time, there’s growth every year. That’s what I’m proud of but it still hurts that we’re not in the grand final right now.”
Parsons, who is contracted for next season, has been in charge for all of the Force’s past three campaigns where they’ve reached the semi-finals and can see the progression, even if the step into the decider remains elusive.
“We’re almost there,” he said. “It’s the strategy around the club around being sustainable in our success, sustainable in our performance every year. We are doing that by being consistent.
“That’s the real excitement. Every year we do get better, every year the program is getting better and the players are getting better. We know it’s coming.
“The results are still to come. But where we’re at at the moment, the belief and trust are there, the growth is evident in the results. Our time will come.”
The Force showed heart to score four of the final five tries of the game, finishing the better of the two sides in the second half after the ‘Tahs first-half blitz.
Parsons lamented the slow start but was full of praise for his players.
“We were really chasing the game in the second half because in the first half we weren’t able to get hold of the ball,” he said. “They (NSW) had a lot of possession. Our discipline was a bit off because of that and we just got caught on the back foot.
“We believed that we could come out at half-time and still get it done. We just had a big score to chase and that was energy sapping for a lot of the group.
“We went deeper into our squad today and it probably showed a little bit around being a bit fatigued and a little bit off. We still worked really hard and gave it a good crack.
“We always knew the Waratahs were going to come out strong. In the season stats, every first half was their strongest.
“They also had the wind in the first half. There were a couple of factors that way that put us on the back foot. From there, it was hard to get our energy back. The yellow card in the first half sapped our energy a bit more.
“We didn’t give up, we knew we’d put ourselves to have a crack at it. Today the waratahs were the better team and they deserved it.”
Reflecting in the 2026 Super W campaign, Parsons preferred to focus on the squad rather than individuals for highlights, in a positive indication of the side’s future.
“It was a full squad mentality we’ve had all year,” he said. “A lot of teams will say that but I truly believe we’ve shown that.
“We’ve shown that by using pretty much all of our squad for the whole season. The last two weeks I’ve only had 24-25 players healthy and available to choose from.
“We just kept showing up, performing and putting ourselves in a position to win games. I’m proud of the whole squad, not just the 32; the extended squad, the Academy and all staff involved.
“I don’t want to single people out, we did this as a group which is a real positive sign for the future. We’re doing this as a whole club rather than relying on superstars.”
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