Force lock in New Zealand-born fly-half as re-signing spree continues

New Zealand-born fly-half Grace Freeman will suit up for the Western Force during next year’s Super Rugby Women’s campaign, with the club announcing a flurry of significant re-signings over the last few days.

Rugby Australia confirmed a fortnight ago that Freeman had signed a Wallaroos contract. Freeman attended a Wallaroos camp for the first time earlier this month, along with Brooklyn Teki Joyce and Ngamihi Monk, who have inked new Force deals as well.

The Force revealed on Thursday that the trio had put pen to paper on fresh deals ahead of the 2026 campaign, before making another three re-signing announcements on Friday. Hera-Barb Malcolm Heke, Braxton Walker and Alapeta Ngauamo will also return next season.

Freeman won the Force’s Rising Star award earlier this year, having enjoyed a breakout campaign in Super Rugby Women’s. The 25-year-old knocked over nine conversions and one penalty in three starts before disaster struck, with a foot injury bringing her season to an early end.

The recent Wallaroos camp attendee has previously enjoyed a stint in Super Rugby Women’s with the Melbourne Rebels. Before that, Freeman helped Sydney University win the Jack Scott Cup premiership in New South Wales.

“Grace had a breakout year and unfortunately missed the back-end of that season through injury meaning she wasn’t able to put her hand up for Wallaroos selection ahead of the World Cup,” coach Dylan Parsons said in a statement.

“The way she performed prior to that in Super W put her in a position to be nationally recognized, make her first camp and earning a Wallaroos contract.

“Her kicking game is her point of difference. She’s got a long kick, a variety of kicks and a great goal kick as well. It’s a big asset of hers, which the national program have recognized and seen it as a skill set they’d like in their program as well.

“Her rise is really exciting for our program because when she came across she was only breaking into Super W, so it shows how quick the progression can be when players come into our program with the resources and support we provide.”

Teki Joyce earned a Wallaroos contract for the first time last month, rewarded for a strong season with the Force in 2025. The Westers Scarborough utility has played 10 games for the Force and scored two tries for Australia A against Samoa earlier this year.

Monk was initially called into the Force for a tour in Japan last year, after winning the Women’s Premier Grade title with Wanneroo. The 19-year-old debuted at Super W level in round two this year – doing enough to impress Wallaroos selectors for the camp a couple of weeks ago.

“Brooklyn has been recognized nationally and rewarded with a national contract through performances in Super W and also getting some exposure at Aussie 7s,” Parsons explained.

“A big point of difference for her is her physicality, her speed and ability to influence key moments in the game. We see her as a potential centre as we keep developing her.

“At the moment, she’s a game-breaking winger who’s had some experience in the forwards and the back row, so she brings that physicality and that breakdown pressure in the wider channels.

“She’s another local product that we’ve been able to develop and reward through her performances which is another good sign for the Force women’s program.

“Ngamihi is a great story. She hasn’t been playing rugby for a long time but it shows the rapid progress you can make when you get players at a younger age and expose them to a program early,” he added.

“She was able to perform in the Japan Tour last year and then was rewarded with a Super W contract and earned her selections. She was a leader in the North vs South series recently and got her first experience in Wallaroos camp last week. It shows it can happen pretty quick when you work hard and learn fast.

“She’s a great story coming out of Wanneroo and a highlight of the pathways working with RugbyWA.

“She’s one of those consistent performers. She’s really good at all her core skills. She never gets overwhelmed by any scenario which you don’t always see with young players. She’s a fast learner and a great person with a team-first focus.”

The Force have continued their off-season re-signing spree by announcing new deals for front-rowers Malcolm Heke, Walker and Ngauamo. Former Wallaroos captain Michaela Leonard, Samantha Wood and Nicole Ledington have also re-signed.

Malcolm Heke is now set to become just the second Force player in Super Rugby Women’s history to reach the 25-game mark, having finished the 2025 season on 24 appearances. The hooker has played three Tests for the Wallaroos after debuting in 2024.

Walker started all five matches for the Force in 2025, becoming a core member of the team’s tight five. The front-rower debuted at Super W level in 2023, having made seven appearances in total so far.

Ngauamo brings invaluable experience to the Force set-up as well, having already played 21 matches in Super Rugby Women’s, with 11 of those for the Force. The front-rower made the move west from the Queensland Reds before the 2024 campaign.