W.Force add two to their Extended Playing Squad

Perth Super Rugby franchise the Western Force have signed Guy Millar (Joondalup) and Ammon Matuatuo (Associates) to their Extended Playing Squad for the 2016 Super Rugby season.

The Western Australia pair were members of the Wider Training Group during the 2015 season, with Millar earning his Super Rugby debut and four matches off the bench during the season.

“Ammon and Guy were members of the wider training squad last season, and took every opportunity to earn places in the main squad for 2016,” Western Force Head Coach Michael Foley said.

“Ammon joined us after backing up an excellent club season with consistent performances in the NRC. During 2015, a knee injury prevented him from making his Super Rugby debut, but his commitment to the team and dedication to improvement sees him continuing to chase his dream of playing super rugby in 2016.

“Guy was called into the squad during the season to provide injury cover. He’s a young prop with skill and power and on the back of experiencing Super Rugby for the first time in 2015, he’s just completed a full season of ITM Cup where he continued to improve as the season progressed.”

Ammon Matuauto joined the Western Force’s Wider Training Group in 2015 on the back of a standout season with the Perth Spirit in the Buildcorp National Rugby Championship (NRC).

Having previously represented the South Island Maori side (2008) and Tasman Makos in the ITM Cup (2009) prior to his move to Perth in 2010, the 28-year-old centre believed that the opportunity to play Super Rugby may have passed him by.

“A lot of people don’t know that 2014 was going to be my last year of rugby,” he said. “I was just going to enjoy my last season with Soaks and then I got a call from Dwayne Nestor (Perth Spirit Assistant Coach), who asked if I’d like to play NRC.

“I’m very grateful to have been able to take that opportunity and it’s given me a second wind for my rugby.

“To now sign with the Force is amazing. Since I was a young fella, all I’ve wanted to do is play Super Rugby and it had been the only thing in my head in the last few years. I’m stoked to be another step closer to playing at this level and realising that dream.

“I had a lot of opportunities when I was back in New Zealand so I’m really keen to take this one with both hands and certainly not take it for granted.”

Prop Guy Millar joined the Western Force during the 2015 Super Rugby season following a season-ending injury to Francois van Wyk.

The former Australian Schoolboy representative played four matches for the Force in 2015, before representing Southland in this year’s ITM Cup.

Millar says making his Super Rugby debut this year has only spurred him on to push for more appearances next season.

“Last season was an opportunity I was really keen to make the most of,” he said. “To sign for the full year and have the opportunity to get a full pre-season under my belt gives me a good platform leading into the season and I’m excited to see where that takes me.

“To get the call last season was unexpected. It was amazing to play alongside guys I’ve grown up watching; they’re a great bunch of guys and I’m really looking forward to being a part of the group again next year.

“Playing club rugby you get learn the basics, but being a part of the squad you pick up a lot of technical detail that makes a big difference. Foles (Michael Foley) broke things down in a way I hadn’t thought of before, and guys like Tetera (Faulkner) and Pek (Cowan) have already taught me a lot about propping. Scrummaging against Pek in my first week was one of the toughest things I’ve done, but he helped me a lot along the way which has been great.”

Profile
Name: Ammon Matuauto
Born: 29/01/1986, Wellington (New Zealand)
Position: Centre
Club: Associates
Height: 179cm
Weight: 96kg
Representative Rugby: 2015 Western Force; 2014-2015 Perth Spirit; 2011-2012 Force ‘A’; 2011 RugbyWA Academy; 2009 Tasman Makos (ITM Cup); 2008 South Island Maori; 2006-2008 Tasman Makos Colts

Name: Guy Millar
Born: 23/04/1992, Cape Town (South Africa)
Position: Prop
Club: Joondalup
Height: 186cm
Weight: 117kg
Super Rugby caps: 4
Super Rugby points: 0
Super Rugby debut: 2015 v Blues, Auckland
Representative Rugby: 2015 Western Force; 2015 Southland (ITM Cup); 2014 Greater Sydney Rams; 2012-2013 ARU National Academy; 2011 Waratahs Academy; 2010 Australian Schoolboys