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23-year-old takes over from veteran as new Western Force captain for 2024
By Finn Morton
The Western Force will have a new captain in 2024 with the club confirming on Friday that 23-year-old Jeremy Williams will lead the team during the upcoming Super Rugby Pacific season.
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On the back of a breakout season last time around, Williams has been bestowed the honour of becoming the eighth men’s captain in the Westen Force’s history.
Williams, who stands at 195cm tall, joined the club in 2022 from the Waratahs and went on to win the Force Man Award last year.
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The second rower replaces 30-year-old Michael Wells in the role, although the former skipper will serve as one of two vice-captains in 2024 along with Wallaby Nic White.
“It’s our pleasure to appoint Jeremy as the Club’s Super Rugby Pacific captain, with the support of Michael Wells and Nic White as vice-captains,” head coach Simon Cron said in a statement.
“A big part of this decision is looking to the future for someone who can help drive the leadership forward over the next couple of years.
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“We thought Wellsy did a brilliant job in 2023 and we’ve decided it’s the right time to transition with a view to the future.
“Jeremy is a fantastic young man. He has a lot of respect from the playing group, he played big minutes for us last year and he leads by doing.
“The job of Wellsy and Whitey as vice-captains is to help support Jeremy. All great leadership teams work as a collective group and we are no different.
“Whitey and Wellsy are two of our most experienced players. Whitey is a genuine international with unmatched experience, Wellsy has played over 100 Super Rugby games,” he added.
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“The two of them have been captains before, they’re great leaders. That experience will be critical for the team on and off the field.”
The two vice-captains have more than 200 Super Rugby games of experience between them, with Wells bringing up his century of appearances late last season. As for Nic White, the Wallaby has played for Australia 63 times across two Rugby World Cups.
Wells and White will be there to support their new captain, who only has 29 Super Rugby caps to his name. Sydney-born Williams said it was both a “privilege” and an “honour” to be named the Force’s captain.
“I genuinely cannot wait to lead the boys out this year and am really excited for the season ahead after all the work we’ve done this pre-season,” Willaims explained.
“I believe that I am a leader by example but also know that my captaincy style will evolve with time so I’m thrilled to have the support of Michael Wells and Nic White around me, given their vast experiences.
“They’re going to play a massive role in helping me and guiding me through the journey, so I’m really excited to work alongside those guys.”
The Western Force will get their season underway next week when they host the Hurricanes at HBG Park from 7 pm (local time) on Friday 23 February.
