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I wanted to take this opportunity to say how impressed I am with the Emirates Western Forces performance this year and how they have exceeded my expectations.
I expected the Force to win some games this year. But in my heart I never expected the Force to be in the top 3 after 9 Weeks and to have the members of TWF discussing the Forces prospects for the Finals. For me this is a dream come true.
Congratulations must go to Coach John Mitchell who has brought together a group of Rugby Union players from around Australia and created a team that plays for each other, a team that goes that extra mile for each other not because our team can look back on 150 years of tradition or speak to that group of retired Western Force players that the rookies can look up to.
The Western Force is creating history for itself this year, because there is no history. We started from scratch. Our fellow TheWholeForce.com member GiteauGunnaScoreTwenty said it best in his signature “Western Force: Matching 151 years of tradition in 58 weeks!”
Coach Mitchell started from scratch. There was no tradition to build from. Sure you can get a jersey and a logo and support staff and players, but these things don’t make a team. Actions make a team, supporting each other makes a team, losses make a team, draws make a team and these things make a team strong. Getting up when you have been knocked down. We now have a strong team, and a strong team attracts a strong following. Sure I am biased, but the Western Force supporters would have to be some of the most passionate of all the Super14.
Who else could attract membership numbers in their first year that is the envy of the Super14 competition, who else attracted over 26,000 fans to each of their first year home games? Who else has fans like SkizzaWWE who gave us a sign that expressed in 3 words what we all felt – “I have faith” Who else has the sea of blue? Who else has fans as passionate that puts up with a sub-standard stadium?
All of these things are the reason why I love the Western Force. These are the reasons why I feel so passionate about our team. These are the reasons why I got my tattoo. Yes it hurt, but it was worth it.