Western Force promote Academy scrum-half Luke Aiken to Super Rugby Pacific squad

Western Force have promoted Academy halfback Luke Aiken to their senior Super Rugby Pacific squad for the 2027 season, the Perth-based club confirmed this week. The 20-year-old, who has represented Australia at Schools and Under-18 level, becomes the latest addition to a well-stocked scrum-half group at the club.

Aiken’s path to the Force’s top squad has wound through several junior programmes. A product of Sunshine Coast Grammar School, he spent time with the Queensland Reds Under-18s and the Blues Under-20s in New Zealand before heading west. He was part of the Force’s squad during the inaugural Super Rugby AUS campaign in 2025 and featured in Super Rugby Next Gen earlier this year after training with the senior group on a train-and-train arrangement.

“I’m excited to officially be with the main Super squad. I was already training with the squad, so I know this is a tight-knit group,” Aiken said. “It’s great to be one step closer to playing Super Rugby as a top-squad member but the exciting part is having full-time access to coaches like Nic White and being around players like Nathan Hastie and Henry Robertson who are all great mentors.”

Aiken slots into a scrum-half pool that also includes Australia A representative Henry Robertson, former Highlanders No. 9 Nathan Hastie, and Los Pumas international Agustin Moyano, who re-signed with the club on 13 August.

Force head coach Simon Cron pointed to Aiken’s consistent performances for WA club side Bayswater as evidence of his readiness for the step up. “Luke has worked hard in our environment and continues to stand out in WA club rugby,” Cron said. “We’ll continue bringing him through. He is a player for the future and adds to the depth of our half-back options.”

Aiken himself drew a parallel between the Force’s culture and the environment he experienced in New Zealand, noting the club’s sense of collective identity as a key draw. “I’ve come from New Zealand previously, where it’s similar to here with players coming into their chosen home, so I really like that at the Force,” he added. “As shown by the back-half of last season, the Force is heading in the right direction.”