Western Force second-rower Sera Naiqama believes this is the perfect time to deliver on their investment as they look for their maiden Grand Final berth.
The Force earned hosting rights with victory over the ACT Brumbies a fortnight ago, booking their spot against the NSW Waratahs at HBF Park.
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It's the first time the club will host a semi-final, set to be played as part of a double-header with the Wallabies-Italy Test on Saturday.
Naiqama, who moved from the Waratahs, has been at the forefront of the Force's rise ever since their move to a professional program.
This delivered their first finals appearance in 2024 and was followed by a historic 28-21 win over the Waratahs earlier in the season, the first Australian team to defeat the six-time champions.
With a shot in the decider on the line, Naiqama believes it's time to deliver on the investment.
"The Western Force is very different to all the other franchises in the way that we support the women's space and women's program. We operate in one of their full-time professional capacities, so we knew with that kind of investment and that backing, it does demand a result," she told reporters.
"I think this season we're probably showing that as the first Aussie team to beat the Waratahs and the only Aussie side to clean sweep the other Australian teams in the competition this season. There's a couple of results that we look at and we think it's because of the time that we've spent together, the amount of investment that's going into us.
"It demands a performance and demands a season that we're having at the moment so it's really good that all the backing aligns with the results that we're producing on field."
The Force go into the contest with a greater belief around taking down the all-powerful Waratahs, who have time to stew over a shock loss to Queensland Reds.
"You've just got to try and take away the eeriness of how fierce the Waratahs are because they are just another side in the competition, albeit a formidable one," Naiqama believes.
"Between us and a first Grand Final berth stands the Waratahs so we have to go in firing on all cylinders to achieve that.
"Taking the Waratahs off the pedestal is the best way to go about it and treating them like another opposition so I think we're in a really good position to do it again."
