1
Darcy Swain wants to leave the Brumbies as a Super Rugby champion
Darcy Swain has his heart set on leaving the ACT Brumbies with a drought-breaking Super Rugby Pacific title after opting to head west in 2025.
ADVERTISEMENT
The 17-Test Wallabies lock will join the Western Force after seven seasons in Canberra and admits he’s desperate to help the Brumbies to a first championship proper in 20 years.
The Brumbies won the domestic 2021 Super Rugby AU crown during COVID-19 but Swain wants the full-blown version, knowing how elusive titles are when New Zealand opposition are involved.
“It would be unreal,” Swain said on Monday.
“We haven’t done it since ’04. There was 2021, but that’s a Super AU and it’s a bit different.
“That’d be unbelievable to win a Super Rugby title – not many people can do that.”
The NSW Waratahs, a decade ago, were the most recent Australian team to claim trans-Tasman supremacy.
The Brumbies take on the Waratahs in Sydney on Saturday night with the chance to hammer another nail in the coffin for their arch-rivals in 2024.
With four regular-season games remaining, time is fast running out for the second-to-last Waratahs to climb into the top eight.
ADVERTISEMENT
Darren Coleman’s side need to win at least two, probably three and maybe all four matches against the Brumbies, Western Force, Moana Pasifika and Queensland Reds to scrape into the finals.
Brumbies centre Len Ikitau expects the Waratahs to be desperate in front of their home fans at Allianz Stadium and says his third-placed outfit can’t take the contest lightly despite dominating the rivalry in recent years.
“We treat ‘Tah week’ as every other week – it’s always a tough game,” Ikitau said.
“They sure like to turn up when they verse us, so no matter how bad they’re going – or good – it’s always a tough game against the Tahs.”
Best mates Swain and Ikitau went to high school together at Brisbane Boys’ College and the lock admits it was a wrench having to tell teammates he was joining the Force.
ADVERTISEMENT
“It’s the toughest decision I’ve had to make in terms of my future,” said Swain, who is expecting his first child next month.
“I had to talk to a lot of people and consider a lot of things but, ultimately, it’s my time to move on.
“It happens playing a professional game, it was the opportunity … to do something different and be part of something different.
“It’ll be a good change for me and my family.”
The Women's Rugby World Cup 2025 is coming to England. Register now here to be the first to hear about tickets.
Comments on RugbyPass
Great try by van Poortvliet.
1 Go to commentsThey have been cruelled by injuries but almost nobody (Sevu Reece and Fletcher Newell big exceptions) has played above himself which regularly happened before. Surely Scott Robertson had maintained the recruitment programme and it looks like a reasonable squad. Last in this competition will stall a lot of careers. Penny seems likeable. But it’s not enough even though this was better. We haven’t been good enough and it’s not helped by the “it’s been 15 years since… “etc “after nearly every match. Seems somehow a soft gifting of something once valuable. Kieran Read giving comments last week almost choked describing the easy surrender of possession by the forwards. I’d love to think that the senior players some of whom are back can show enough pride in the jersey to test the Blues next week.
3 Go to commentsWho will Joe select for the back three with so many in form candidates? Just hope he doesn’t get shafted like Dave Rennie and to a lesser extent Deans.
5 Go to commentsAlways reluctant to blame a coach when losses rack up, but Penney must go. The backline is dysfunctional and the coach must carry the can. No cohesion, no idea and in many cases, minimal skill. The trains out of Roma St depart faster than the ball from Crusaders’ set pieces. Wouldn’t be surprised if the forwards went on strike.
3 Go to commentsAdding to earlier comment. Cullen Grace has been playing great at no6. Lio-Willie , who was on fire a few weeks ago, had a bad game. I think Cullen should have been moved to 8 earlier, Dominic Gardiner on earlier. Feel for Quinten Strange , put in a big shift .
5 Go to commentsWe dominated the scrums Ben Curry was all over pitch again .Surely James Harper got to be one of best English tightheads
1 Go to commentsRoos is a better option at 6 than 8 for the boks. Needs to work on his windgat though.
1 Go to commentsThe Sharks’ 2nd team maybe?
1 Go to comments‘radical’
1 Go to commentsCome back to Christchurch Robbie, please!
1 Go to commentsI think there is zero chance Sam Cane will be selected for another Test. There is simply no point except sentimentality. Razor is not sentimental- ask Wyatt Crocket. Razor is a ruthless selector
4 Go to comments> It would be best described as an elegant solution to what was potentially going to be a significant problem for new All Blacks coach Scott Robertson. It is a problem the mad population of New Zealand will have to cope with more and more as All Blacks are able to continue their careers in NZ post RWCs. It will not be a problem for coaches, who are always going to start a campaign with the captain for the next WC in mind. > Cane, despite his warrior spirit, his undoubted commitment to every team he played for and unforgettable heroics against Ireland in last year’s World Cup quarter-final, was never unanimously admired or respected within New Zealand while he was in the role. Neither was McCaw, he was considered far too passive a captain and then out of form until his last world cup where everyone opinions changed, just like they would have if Cane had won the WC. > It was never easy to see where Cane, or even if, he would fit into Robertson’s squad given the new coach will want to be building a new-look team with 2027 in mind. > Cane will win his selections on merit and come the end of the year, he’ll sign off, he hopes, with 100 caps and maybe even, at last, universal public appreciation for what was a special career. No, he won’t. Those returning from Japan have already earned the right to retain their jersey, it’s in their contract. Cane would have been playing against England if he was ready, and found it very hard to keep his place. Perform, and they keep it however. Very easy to see where Cane could have fit, very hard to see how he could have accomplished it choosing this year as his sabbatical instead of 2025, and that’s how it played out (though I assume we now know what when NZR said they were allowing him to move his sabbatical forward and return to NZ next year, they had actually agreed to simply select him for the All Blacks from overseas, without any chance he was going to play in NZ again). With a mammoth season of 15 All Black games they might as well get some value out of his years contract, though even with him being of equal character to Richie, I don’t think they should guarantee him his 100 caps. That’s not what the All Blacks should be about. He absolutely has to play winning football.
4 Go to commentswhat’s happening to Ian Peel?
1 Go to commentsAs a Crusaders fan , so disappointed , again.But I think Fergus Burke was all class for the Crusaders in his first game since October last year. Fletcher Newell , was so good at prop. Johnny McNicoll has been gold since returning from Wales. Noah Hotham brilliant , in a coming of age second season for the Crusaders.Jone Rova did really well at centre. The end of the game was tough.Sevu Reece , what a game/season in tough times.
5 Go to commentsFellas a balloon
3 Go to commentsBlues B team on display and made no race of it. By far the best team in SR with the Hurricanes barely getting past the winning post. Up the Blues 💙
7 Go to commentsWould be amazing to have Servette Genève reaching this level
3 Go to commentsThe Crusaders can't buy a win this season. Surely Penney's contract won't be renewed. There's still enough talent in the squad that they oughta be winning more.
1 Go to commentsABs captain for 23 seasons. Decent record. Surely nobody will surpass it. Legend. But alas a typo…
4 Go to commentsJust FYI Rugbypass, I for one am tired of your clickbait titles and thumbnails and will be clicking them no longer. Good day.
1 Go to comments