Western
Force winger Dylan Pietsch has hailed the passion of the Sea of Blue and WA
rugby fans at Tuesday’s Rugby World Cup fixtures announcement at Cottesloe
Beach.

The fixtures
for the 2027 World Cup were revealed on Tuesday with Perth’s Optus Stadium to
host the Wallabies against Hong Kong China in the opener.

Perth will
also host three other pool matches including the All Blacks along with Ireland
vs Scotland, plus two Round of 16 games.

Force Members must purchase tickets for the Round 2 game at Joondalup which isn’t included in 2026 Memberships. Purchase here

Pietsch,
who joined the Force ahead of the 2025 season from the NSW Waratahs, was
excited about the prospect of playing in that opener in Perth.

“Hopefully
I’m playing. It’ll be really cool,” Pietsch told reporters.

“One thing
that I’ve learned since moving over here is how passionate the WA fans are. The
Sea of Blue are amazing for us.

“They’re
really strong with their passion for us. We had a Fan Day on the weekend and
the support we have from them was really awesome.

“To be able
to have that in a World Cup game will be pretty cool.”

Pietsch has
experience at Optus Stadium too, producing a starring display in the Force’s
tour game against the British & Irish Lions in June.

“It’s an
awesome spot,” Pietsch said about Optus Stadium which is expected to sell out
for the opener.

“When we
played the Lions game, the track was so nice. The stadium is quite large but it
feels so close. It’s so well designed, so it feels pretty intimate.”

Force Members must purchase tickets for the Round 2 game at Joondalup which isn’t included in 2026 Memberships. Purchase here

Speaking
generally about the home World Cup, Pietsch added: “Playing in your home country
with your own fans is a massive lift.

“The love
we have in all these stadiums through the Lions tour, all the Tests we play
here, we always sell out crowds which gives you a boost.”

On the
fixture announcement, Pietsch added: “It definitely makes it feel more real.

“It’s a
really cool opportunity to play Hong Kong China in the first game and their
first Rugby World Cup game.

“It’ll be a
challenge for us and how we navigate that. Hopefully puts our best foot forward
in the World Cup campaign.”

The Force’s
2026 Swyftx Super Rugby Pacific season commences on Saturday 14 February
against the ACT Brumbies at HBF Park. Tickets are on sale now via this link.

Register for the pre-sale for Rugby World Cup tickets via this link.