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Wallaby Darcy Swain exits Brumbies for Super Rugby rivals
The Western Force today confirmed the signing of 17-cap Wallabies lock Darcy Swain will join the club from the ACT Brumbies upon the conclusion of his 2024 Super Rugby and international commitments.
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The Force announced the deal alongside Rugby Australia, with the contract tying him to both organizations until 2026.
The towering 200cm 26-year-old will add quality and leadership plus reinforce depth to the Force’s lock stocks. Swain has earned 17 Wallabies caps, making his international debut in 2021 against France, playing in every match during the victorious three-Test series over Les Bleus.
Born in Babinda in Far North Queensland, Swain made the move to Canberra in 2016 to join the ACT Brumbies Academy. He has since gone on to play a total of 70 matches over six seasons and captained the Brumbies during the current campaign. Swain was part of the ACT squad that won the 2020 Super Rugby AU title.
Force general manager of rugby Chris Goodman said, “We are thrilled to have secured the signature of Darcy who is another quality addition to our squad for the next two seasons. Darcy is in the prime of his career at 26-years-old and brings vast Super Rugby experience plus good exposure at international level with the Wallabies which will be invaluable for our squad. He is hungry to take the next step in his career, so we look forward to Darcy linking up with our squad later in the year.”
Swain said he was excited about the opportunity to join the Force, pointing out head coach Simon Cron’s influence.
“Firstly I’d like to thank the Brumbies for giving me my first opportunity to be a fulfill my dream to become a professional rugby player and for their support since arriving in Canberra in 2016,” said Swain. “The opportunity to go to the Western Force from next year is something I’m really looking forward to and from early discussions with Simon will be a perfect environment to continue to grow as a player on the field and as a person off the field. There’s some really special events coming up in Australian Rugby and I’ll be doing everything I can to be part of them.”
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Rugby Australia director of high-performance Peter Horne said, “It’s pleasing to be able to re-sign Darcy for two more years. He’s a player who is driven to improve and continue to contribute to Australian Rugby and has also shown his leadership qualities in recent times with the Brumbies.”
The Brumbies also released a short statement confirming the move.
Comments on RugbyPass
‘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.
1 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 commentsI think Farrell despite all of the stick he gets in the media is still one of if not the best fly half in the world. He is literally the full package. He can kick one of the best in the world, probably has the best defensive game of a fly half in the world and if he wants to he can run, take contact and find an offload to keep the pace of the attack. I dont know why he isnt spoken more about still being one of the best in the world with the likes of dupont. Farrell is the ultimate captain and team leader and is experienced- he has been in nearly any situation you can think of. I still believe due to these reasons that he is England’s best ever player and is still one of the best players in the world.
48 Go to commentsBlues are dominating up front and that’s been a long time coming. They have won the up front confrontation which is where canes, hilanders and act brumbies are also strong.
7 Go to commentsJust watched brumbies v safas game sadly not a show in he’ll thryr anywhere near quarters or semi contention. Admittedly some issues around new comers bot what stands out for me is coaching management, poor game planning and accuracy.
5 Go to commentsOne tough SOB!
16 Go to commentsI’ve put on 4/5 kilos since the beginning of the season too. Not good kilos. Bad kilos.
7 Go to commentsSurely there’s a ‘no knobheads’ policy ?
3 Go to commentsWallaroos have no chance of beating the Black Ferns unless Canada upsets them in Christchurch tomorrow but I doubt that as well!
1 Go to commentsWhat a joke. Could the victim do a course to reverse the long term CTE damage from the cheapshot?
2 Go to comments