Nic White steps into coaching as Western Force name staff for Super Rugby AUS 2026

Nic White, the former Wallabies scrum-half who twice retired from international rugby before transitioning into coaching, will serve on the Western Force staff for the 2026 Super Rugby AUS campaign. The Force confirmed this week that Academy Manager Damian Steele will head the coaching group, with White, Jono Lance, and Chris Heiberg as assistants.

White moved into coaching ahead of the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season and has also been involved with the Wallabies setup. His appointment alongside two other experienced figures reflects the Force’s stated ambition to use the domestic competition as a development platform for coaching talent as much as playing talent.

“We see Super Rugby AUS as a really important opportunity for the club to develop our coaches, providing them with an opportunity to grow amid a competitive series of games,” Force head coach Simon Cron said. “We’re excited to have this coaching group lead the team over the next two months.”

Steele brings a broad background to the role, having served as Director of Rugby at Belfast Rugby Club and as Head of Rugby and Elite Development Program head coach at Queensland Premier Rugby powerhouse Brothers.

Lance, a long-time Super Rugby playmaker across stints with the Reds and Force, stepped into coaching as Academy assistant coach in early 2024 and was part of the Force’s Super Rugby AUS staff last season. Scrum specialist Heiberg, who has held roles with the Academy and Super Rugby Women’s sides, also returns from last year’s campaign.

The second edition of Super Rugby AUS opens on 12 September when the Force travel to face the Queensland Reds at Ballymore Stadium in Brisbane. They then host the ACT Brumbies in Perth on 20 September before a final round trip to face the NSW Waratahs in Sydney on 27 September. The Grand Final between the top two sides is scheduled for 3 October at a venue still to be confirmed.

The Force will be looking to go one better than last season, when they reached the Grand Final but fell to the NSW Waratahs 33-26 at Kingsway Regional Sporting Complex.