The Western Force have announced they will play their first game in the Northern Perth suburb of Joondalup against the Blues in Round Two.
The match will be held at HIF Health Insurance Oval, taking them away from their regular home ground, HBF Park.
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It comes as a result of the 2026 Asian Cup, with the ground set to host a number of matches, including two quarter-finals.
As a result, it will be unavailable for over a month following the Force’s season opener against the ACT Brumbies on February 14.
The Joondalup venue, which features a main grandstand and large grass hill surrounding the playing arena with a total capacity of 12,500, previously hosted the Perth Spirit in the 2014 National Rugby Championship season.
“We’re really excited to take the Western Force and Super Rugby to Joondalup for one game in the 2026 season to connect with the community which is a key pillar of our organisation. We are a Club for the whole of the state and the whole of Perth,” Force CEO Niamh O’Connor said.
“Working with VenuesWest, with HBF Park unavailable for a five-week period, we determined that Arena Joondalup was the ground in Perth’s metropolitan area best suited to meet Super Rugby’s venue standards whilst also offering us an opportunity to engage the community and create a grass-roots atmosphere for the one-off game.
“We’ll continue to work with VenuesWest and the City of Joondalup to bring to life an awesome gameday experience for our fans and Members at Arena Joondalup.”
The area, which is located 26 kilometres north of Perth’s CBD, is home to Premier Grade sides Joondalup Brothers and Wanneroo.
It comes with the Force set to play its Super Rugby AUS home games at Fortescue Premier Grade club Palmyra RUFC’s ground Tompkins Park, located south of the river.
“The City of Joondalup welcomes the opportunity to host the Western Force for one Super Rugby Pacific match in our community,” Joondalup lord mayor Albert Jacob said.
“Arena Joondalup is the premier sporting precinct in Perth’s northern growth corridor, home to world-class facilities and one of Western Australia’s premier playing surfaces.
“Nearly 40 per cent of residents in our region were born overseas, predominantly from the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand and South Africa, and the chance to see premier domestic rugby in our backyard will be eagerly-anticipated.
“We also look forward to seeing Joondalup showcased internationally through millions of viewers around the globe.”
